Saudi Arabia government has threatened to execute those who 'spread rumours' about the government on social media, including Twitter and Facebook.
According to a state-run website, Makkah Online, there are now laws and departments that censor mass media in the country, and the government has created a rule to punish people for not just tweeting, but also spreading anything deemed to be false. The worst 'rumour-mongers' will be executed, while lesser offenders will be punished with lashes, imprisonment, travel bans, house arrest and a social media ban, a Ministry of Justice source said.
It's a new law so no one has so far been arrested or executed but the government didn't say what kind of post would warrant a death sentence. The government said views spread over a period of time was bringing confusion to the country and felt it was time to curb it.
Activists say the new law is a way for the government to control a young, tech-savvy population.
