X notifies several opposition activist accounts of official requests to block them inside Saudi Arabia

The platform X has notified several Saudi opposition activist accounts that it received official requests from authorities in Saudi Arabia seeking to block access to these accounts inside the country over allegations of publishing content that violates Saudi regulations.

According to a document attributed to the Saudi Public Prosecution, the request is based on the Cybercrime Law and includes blocking accounts on X and preventing users inside Saudi Arabia from accessing them within 48 hours of notification, while informing the relevant authorities once implemented. The document also states that the decision is final and cannot be appealed or challenged.

This development follows a wave of similar measures targeting opposition and human rights accounts on other platforms, including TikTok, Snapchat, and Meta, where accounts were blocked or restricted inside Saudi Arabia in recent months.

SANAD Human Rights Organization considers these measures a new escalation in the crackdown on dissenting voices in the digital sphere, particularly as social media platforms have become one of the main spaces used by activists and opposition figures to communicate with the public and express their views.

The organization also stated that Saudi authorities are using the Cybercrime Law as a tool to restrict freedom of expression and justify repressive practices targeting citizens.