RIYADH: Online actions such as uploading personal videos and pictures with the intention of extortion are offenses punishable under the Kingdom’s cybercrime law, says an expert.

Mohammad Al-Bishi, a specialist in legal policy and cybercrime law, said that shooting WhatsApp chatting conversation and snapshot are also offenses, if used with bad intention or purpose of extortion.

“Using others’ Tweets and spreading them with evil intention or extortion, installation of call recording software, re-tweeting abusive messages by liking them or showing thumb up support are also punishable under the law.”

Al-Bishi was speaking at forum under the title, “Cyber crime in Saudi Arabia,” on Monday.

He said that there are various types of financial crimes, including illegal entry in the systems and database processing, attacks on websites, breach of confidentiality and privacy of personal data, assault on electronic money, in addition to bank cards.

This also includes stock manipulation in real terms in the securities markets, bank embezzlement relating to money deposited in banks or companies’ capital, and funds transfer.

According to him, banks and financial institutions facing problems of embezzlement of funds are reluctant to inform the competent authorities through information networks. According to estimates, between 20 and 25 percent of such cases are not reported, he said.