DUBAI--Saudi Arabia is planning tighter regulation of video
content produced in the country for YouTube after an explosion of
news, satire and comedy has made the kingdom the biggest per-capita
global consumer of Google Inc.'s video platform.
Viewers in Saudi Arabia watch three times as much YouTube as
their peers in the U.S., according to Google, largely because the
traditionally government-backed mass media hasn't produced enough
content suited to the country's large population of young
people.
An array of Arabic shows are produced in Saudi Arabia by content
creators that have, until now, been given a measure of freedom
compared with the traditional media in the conservative Islamic
kingdom.
But YouTube's popularity has brought it under the scrutiny of
Saudi authorities, who plan to regulate all forms of audiovisual
media, a move that could stifle creativity among creators who have
increasingly pushed the boundaries of satire in the Middle
East.
The General Commission for Audiovisual Media will monitor the
quality and quantity of content produced in Saudi Arabia on
platforms such as YouTube via a code that will include guidelines
on alcohol, tobacco, nudity and sexual acts, said Riyadh Najm, the
commission's president. It will also promote private-sector-led
investment in the media industry.
"We will make them aware of what's acceptable in Saudi Arabia
and what's not acceptable," Mr. Najm said in an interview with The
Wall Street Journal. "Criticism is acceptable as long as it's
professional and constructive."
The growth in the YouTube production industry in Saudi Arabia
has caught the attention of both Google and advertisers.
Individual YouTube shows can average more than two million views
in Saudi Arabia, where strict interpretation of Islamic law means
diversions such as nightclubs and cinema are banned.
Google in March conducted its first YouTube roadshow in the
region to educate content creators on how to best monetize their
shows and improve the quality to attract views. Google declined to
comment on the plans for regulation.
"I hope it will not be restrictive or stop creativity," said
Kaswara Al-Khatib, chairman and chief executive of U-Turn, a
Saudi-based network that produces 30 shows and has 15 million
subscribers and followers on YouTube and social media. "We do not
want to step back."
The commission, which was established in September 2012, will
issue licenses under the printing and publishing law to any
production company operating in the kingdom, according to Mr.
Najm.
A new media law that will extend the old law's oversight to
online and broadcasting is also being reviewed by the kingdom's
advisory Shoura Council---a king-appointed body that is Saudi
Arabia's closest thing to a parliament.
Mr. Najm comes to his job from of the Ministry of Culture and
Information, where he was previously the deputy minister. The
commission would begin issuing licenses before the end of the year,
he added.
"I think it's about security and making sure they control
whatever content is out there," said Amgad Husein, a Saudi-based
partner at law firm Dentons.
Saudi Arabia's first attempt to regulate online expression with
specific laws came in March 2009 when the Ministry of Culture and
Information announced plans for a new electronic-publishing law to
be applied to local news websites.
The new e-publishing law wasn't passed until January 2011 amid
criticism by many bloggers and online activists who anticipated
that new sweeping regulations would put restrictions on free
speech.
In March, the ministry started blocking local news websites that
didn't apply for a government license.
Saudi Arabia said on Sunday that it had detained nine Saudis who
had recorded videos critical of the government. Since March 22,
about a dozen Saudis have recorded and posted YouTube videos of
themselves criticizing the royal family or complaining of low
salaries, corruption and unemployment.
The autocratic countries of the Persian Gulf have become
increasingly uneasy about social and online media since 2011, when
the platforms helped fuel the Arab Spring uprisings across the
region.
Write to Rory Jones at rory.jones@wsj.com
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