According to the Okaz newspaper, a Saudi cybercrime expert has warned the public that sending someone a red heart on WhatsApp can land the sender in jail.
According to Saudi legislation, if the sender is proven guilty, he might face a two to five year prison sentence as well as an SR100,000 fine.
Al Moataz Kutbi, a member of Saudi Arabia’s Anti-Fraud Association, said in a statement to the Saudi newspaper that sending “red hearts” on WhatsApp is a “harassment crime,” and that the use of “some images and expressions during online chats may turn into a crime of harassment if a lawsuit is filed by the injured party.”
He warned app users against engaging in awkward or unwanted chats with strangers or using “explicit emotions or red heart emojis,” as well as using “explicit expressions or red heart emojis.”
“Harassment is defined by the anti-harassment system as any statement, act, or gesture with a sexual connotation made by a person towards another that touches his or her body or honour or infringes on his or her modesty by any means, including modern technology,” according to the anti-harassment system. This includes (emojis) with sexual connotations based on social conventions, such as red hearts and red roses,” Kutbi explained.
He made it plain that if the situation was reported to competent authorities and the allegation was established against the perpetrator, the sender would be held liable. In this situation, the suspect will face a fine of up to SR100,000 and/or a two-year jail sentence, with the fine increasing to SR300,000 and five years in prison if the offense is repeated.
