Freedom of expression on the Saudi Internet

Much of the attention given to freedom of expression online in the past has focused on countries such as China and Burma and very recently on Iran but less on the Arab world. This paper explores freedom of expression on the Saudi internet from a Saudi Arabian social and cultural perspective. The paper uses findings obtained from several studies conducted between 2006 and 2009. After a short introduction which highlights the country's profile, a brief overview of the studies from which the results were obtained, are presented. A discussion about the internet in Saudi Arabia based on a survey conducted in 2007 by the Saudi Communication and Information Technology Commission (CITC) follows. The paper then discusses the factors that could be responsible for limiting freedom of expression online. Interestingly, censorship is not the only factor; culture and people's political orientation play a significant part too. Next, the paper examines the groups of people, specifically women, political dissidents and liberals who are especially affected by the limitations on freedom of expression on the internet. The paper will end with an exploration of the Western philosophical perspective on freedom of expression issues.