RIYADH: The number of electronic crimes in the Kingdom increased by 373 percent this year, in comparison with 2014 in which the number of such crimes did not exceed 164.
Aleqtesadiah newspaper reported that issues dealing with social media formed around 35 percent of the related lawsuits. According to statistics, the total number of e-crimes tried in courts this year reached 776 cases, with three cases on average per day.
Courts in Makkah ranked first in terms of the number of cases received, with 207 cases and 27 percent of the total cases of electronic crime in the past nine months. The Eastern Province came second with 115 cases, followed by Madinah with 110 cases and Riyadh with 84 cases.
Al-Baha Province received the least number of cases with just nine during the last nine months. Asir courts received 81 cases, Al-Qasim took on 40 cases, Jazan had 39 cases, Hail 31 cases and Tabuk dealt with 20 e-crime cases.
Najran and Al-Jouf received 15 cases each during the past nine months, while the Northern Border court received 10 cases.
This coincides with the Ministry of Interior’s statement that police stations and criminal investigation directorates are assigned preliminary procedures for all electronic issues, and that they should look for the sources of rumor mongers more accurately. The ministry also said that rumor mongers will be penalized according to the associated criminal procedures and laws.
Col. Fahad Al-Habdan, official spokesman for Al-Qasim Province, said that publishing false news and rumors is a crime that is punishable by law, adding that police stations are assigned investigations if a lawsuit is filed. He pointed out that a number of sentences have been delivered against violators and that Shariah law has been implemented in addition to the laws of both private and public rights.
He said that rumors are harmful to individuals and society alike, because they offer a false image of reality, especially as news is easily published and spread around on the Internet these days.
Aleqtesadiah newspaper reported that issues dealing with social media formed around 35 percent of the related lawsuits. According to statistics, the total number of e-crimes tried in courts this year reached 776 cases, with three cases on average per day.
Courts in Makkah ranked first in terms of the number of cases received, with 207 cases and 27 percent of the total cases of electronic crime in the past nine months. The Eastern Province came second with 115 cases, followed by Madinah with 110 cases and Riyadh with 84 cases.
Al-Baha Province received the least number of cases with just nine during the last nine months. Asir courts received 81 cases, Al-Qasim took on 40 cases, Jazan had 39 cases, Hail 31 cases and Tabuk dealt with 20 e-crime cases.
Najran and Al-Jouf received 15 cases each during the past nine months, while the Northern Border court received 10 cases.
This coincides with the Ministry of Interior’s statement that police stations and criminal investigation directorates are assigned preliminary procedures for all electronic issues, and that they should look for the sources of rumor mongers more accurately. The ministry also said that rumor mongers will be penalized according to the associated criminal procedures and laws.
Col. Fahad Al-Habdan, official spokesman for Al-Qasim Province, said that publishing false news and rumors is a crime that is punishable by law, adding that police stations are assigned investigations if a lawsuit is filed. He pointed out that a number of sentences have been delivered against violators and that Shariah law has been implemented in addition to the laws of both private and public rights.
He said that rumors are harmful to individuals and society alike, because they offer a false image of reality, especially as news is easily published and spread around on the Internet these days.
