4 ms·
> the use of social media and other communications has been criminalised inside the kingdom since the beginning of Prince Mohammed’s reign. I don't understand
by rippercushions 4y ago
> the use of social media and other communications has been criminalised inside the kingdom since the beginning of Prince Mohammed’s reign.
I don't understand the harping on about "social media" here? It's not using social media that's illegal in Saudi Arabia, it's public dissent, and that's been the case since day one. Previously people were jailed or executed for spraying graffiti on overhead bridges, but the authorities were too clueless to care/understand about posting on the Internet. Now the dinosaurs have been replaced by MBS, who does care about the online world, so they've started applying the same old punishments to people posting the same sentiments online.
- josephcsible 4y agoWhen it was spraying graffiti, at least that's actually bad and universally recognized as a crime, so it was just a really disproportionate punishment for it. Posting on social media isn't supposed to be a crime at all.
- tessierashpool 4y agoit's very widely recognized as an art form, and it's not necessarily bad at all.
- throwaway_au_1 4y agoI'd be surprised if you appreciated if the 'art' that is 90% of graffiti appeared on the exterior of your home or business.
- josephcsible 4y agoGraffiti is only a legitimate art form when it's done with the permission of the owner of the thing being painted. It's pure vandalism otherwise.
- sandworm101 4y agoThe crime is not the post. The crime is the statement contained in the post. Who told you that online statements were not crimes? They are exactly as much a crime as a statement in a newspaper or on tv.
- josephcsible 4y agoHence why I used the qualifiers "universally recognized" and "supposed to be".
- aaomidi 4y ago>, at least that's actually bad Is it? Public dissent is bad? What do you expect people to do? Vote?