The company has blocked Al Jazeera’s Snapchat Discover channel under pressure from the government of Saudi Arabia, reports TechCrunch. The Al Jazeera Snap Discover channel was launched in Saudi Arabia in May of this year. The Saudi government has long accused the channel of being a tool for neighboring Qatar to incite Saudi opposition.
Saudi Arabia’s Communications and Information Technology Commission justified the ban of the Snapchat channel saying that it violated, among other laws, Article 6 of the Saudi Anti-Cyber Crime Law, which states “production, preparation, transmission, or storage of material impinging on public order, religious values, public morals, and privacy through the information network or computers” is to be censored. Addressing the blockage of Al Jazeera, a Snap spokesperson told TechCrunch, “We make an effort to comply with local laws in the countries where we operate.”
Recognize your brand’s excellence by applying to this year’s Brands That Matter Awards before the early-rate deadline, May 3.
