The United Nations has long been considered the global voice for human rights and freedom of speech. Meanwhile, it has faced criticisms over its commitment to uphold such principles after what happened during the recent international conference on Internet governance. There is controversy surrounding whether the UN is allowing diplomatic relations to override its core principles following reports that the body reportedly blocked criticism of Saudi Arabia during talks on digital rights and internet censorship.
In 2024, Saudi Arabia put 196 individuals to death. The authorities carried out the largest mass execution in recent decades on March 12th, killing 81 prisoners in a single day. In terms of the utilization of the death penalty, the nation is ranked second.
Is it a risk to express yourself online in Saudi Arabia?
The internet control strategy of the UN is also increasingly coming into question, especially after the alleged suppression of criticism of Saudi Arabia during one of its conferences.
Criticism of Saudi Arabia’s limited internet rules was either suppressed or excluded from official reports of a United Nations-convened meeting on internet governance.
Organizers of the conference resisted efforts by several activists and leaders of civil society to highlight the kingdom’s increased crackdown on online dissent and prosecution of digital activists. Some activists and civil society leaders who attended the meeting in New York said that the Saudi government is also violating human rights.
It is very risky to express oneself online in Saudi Arabia. For just voicing criticism and advocating for human rights, many bloggers, dissidents, and women’s rights advocates have been subjected to unfair prosecution, severe jail terms, and travel restrictions. The restriction of digital technology is only going to get worse. Recently, two regulations have been proposed by Saudi officials that, if passed, will significantly restrict internet free speech and possibly silence those outside of Saudi Arabia.
There were talks about internet freedoms and the obligations of governments to provide open, accessible digital environments across the globe at that time. Many perceived the removal of such issues as diplomatic appeasement by deliberate purpose; indeed, Saudi Arabia was never new to history in its politics of digital repression, including imprisonments of bloggers and journalists and extensive surveillance over all things placed on the internet.
What is the reason behind the Saudi allegations?
The General Authority of Media Regulation (GAMR) proposed a new Media Law in November 2023 to update Saudi Arabia’s current legal frameworks governing publications, radio, audiovisuals, and the press. However, the draft Media Law’s purview extends beyond traditional media. It covers both people voicing their thoughts online and digital communications platforms like social networking sites, which are classified as media outlets.
According to the proposed Media Law, media outlets, including digital platforms, must seek a license from the relevant authorities before engaging in any media activity, such as producing, distributing, or streaming media content. The GAMR must issue or renew these licenses.
The 19th annual UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF) events were the most recent instance of a repressive government hosting a significant UN conference while harassing and banning representatives of civil society. The IGF serves as the primary UN platform for discussion of public policy matters about the internet. Its annual conference has frequently taken place in nations, especially Saudi Arabia, which severely restrict freedoms of speech and criticism.
Similar suppression has been experienced by journalists and representatives of civil society at past conferences and during the December 2023 UN-organized Climate Change Conference (COP28) in the United Arab Emirates.
The main purpose of the UN workshop
The workshop’s main focus was the UN Convention against Cybercrime and its possible effects on human rights. It used case studies from Saudi Arabia and Latin American nations to show how activists are targeted by current anti-terrorism and cybercrime laws and how the treaty might make these abuses worse. Following the session, a video was uploaded to the IGF YouTube channel. On Thursday, 19 December 2025, the IGF took down the footage and the transcript of the event from its website.
The IGF uploaded a modified version of the video on their YouTube channel on Monday, 13 January 2025, removing a large number of al-Hathloul’s comments. Saudi Arabia’s anti-cybercrime and counterterrorism policies have led to the imprisonment of rights advocates, targeting online expression and nonviolent action, and safety concerns preventing civil society from attending the IGF in Riyadh. The names and specifics of the cases of human rights advocates for whom a moment of silence was observed were likewise removed by the IGF. This information was also taken from the online transcript of the session by the secretariat.