Spying on your spouse's phone now a criminal offence in Saudi Arabia

Spying on your spouse's phone in Saudi Arabia now carries a hefty fine and up to a year in prison, under a new law that aims to "protect morals of individuals and society and protect privacy".

The punishment will apply to both men and women in the kingdom, according to a statement late on Monday by the ministry of culture.

Called the Anti-Cybercrime Law, the measure makes "spying on, interception or reception of data transmitted through an information network or a computer without legitimate authorisation" a crime. It imposes a penalty up to 500,000 Saudi riyal ($133,000), prison or both.

"Social media has resulted in a steady increase in cybercrimes such as blackmail, embezzlement and defamation, not to mention hacking of accounts", the ministry said.

Timesofoman