Saudi Arabia: Sending heart emoji can result in fine of Rs 20 lakh & five yrs in prison

Adding to the slew of bizarre nature of punishment being imposed by the Arabian kingdom, sending red heart emojis to someone on WhatsApp has now become a punishable offence in Saudi Arabia. A cybercrime specialist warned that if someone sends a red heart on WhatsApp to anyone, it can result in their detention, reported Okaz Newspaper. The specialist stated that if the sender is proven guilty, he/she can face a sentence of two to five years in prison and a fine of SR100,000, which is roughly Rs 20 lakh. Al Moataz Kutbi, who is a member of the Saudi Arabian Anti-Fraud Association, said in a statement that sending "red hearts" on WhatsApp is harassment 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, according to Gulf News. He also warned the app users against using explicit phrases or red heart emojis or even coming into a chat with someone without their permission or engaging in uncomfortable or unwanted talks. The sender will be held liable Kutbi further stated that 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 infringes on his or her modesty by any means, including modern technology. He also said that this includes emojis which has sexual overtones, such as red hearts and red roses. He also noted that if the issue is reported to the authorities and the charge against the perpetrator is proven, the sender will be held liable for such abuses. In this situation, the sender will face a fine of not more than SR100,000 and/or a two-year jail sentence, with the fine increasing to SR300,000, which is around Rs 60 lakh and five years in prison if the offence is repeated. Similar rules imposed by Saudi Arabia Notably, this is not the first time Saudi has announced such rules. Last year in November it was reported that in Saudi Arabia, removing someone from a WhatsApp group can result in the arrest of the person with a fine of SR500,000, which is approx 1 crore Rs, according to Gulf News. Image: AP/ Unsplash

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Saudi Arabia: Sending heart emoji can result in fine of Rs 20 lakh & five yrs in prison

A Cybercrime specialist warned that if someone sends a red heart on WhatsApp to anyone in Saudi Arabia, it can result in their arrest with a fine of SR100,000.

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