Saudi Arabia restricts access to dissidents’ social media accounts

RIYADH, May 16 (YPA) – Saudi authorities have restricted access inside the kingdom to the social media accounts of several opposition figures living abroad.

Saudi dissidents Omar Abdulaziz Al-Zahrani and Nasser Awad al-Qarni said their accounts on platforms including X, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok are no longer accessible from within Saudi Arabia.

Telecommunications authorities in several countries have the technical ability to restrict access to specific accounts or content without blocking entire platforms.

Similar measures were previously reported in the United Arab Emirates during periods of regional tension, when access to a number of accounts on X was reportedly restricted without suspending the platform itself.

AA