More than 60 accounts on X were made unavailable to users inside Saudi Arabia after the company geoblocked them since mid-July, the London-based human rights group ALQST told the Guardian. Those affected include ALQST founder Yahya Assiri, US-based activist Abdullah Alaoudh, exiled activists, Saudi academics and independent media; Abdulla Alaoudh said the takedowns amount to censorship of critics in exile. Account holders received emails from X saying their content had been withheld in Saudi Arabia to comply with X’s obligations under Saudi local laws, and a Saudi decree attached to the letters said the accounts transmitted material that "infringes on public order, religious values, public morals or the sanctity of private life." ALQST called on X, Meta, Snapchat and YouTube to restore access and to provide transparency about how the decisions were reached. The Guardian noted that earlier in the year Snapchat and Meta had already restricted dissident accounts after Saudi complaints, and Meta has previously said it may limit content availability in countries where material is unlawful even if it does not breach the company’s own standards. X and the Saudi embassy in London were approached for comment, and campaigners say the geoblocking further narrows the reach of critics who remain connected to people inside the kingdom.
