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Saudi Arabia’s Cybersecurity Recognized as 2nd Best Globally

This picture taken on January 11, 2020, shows a general view of Riyadh. (AFP)
This picture taken on January 11, 2020, shows a general view of Riyadh. (AFP)
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Saudi Arabia’s Cybersecurity Recognized as 2nd Best Globally

This picture taken on January 11, 2020, shows a general view of Riyadh. (AFP)
This picture taken on January 11, 2020, shows a general view of Riyadh. (AFP)

Saudi Arabia has secured second place in the global Cybersecurity Index in the World Competitiveness Yearbook (WCY) for 2023 by the Swiss-based International Institute for Management Development (IMD).

Saudi Arabia also ranked 17th overall in 2023 – jumping seven places from 2022 – in the overall competitiveness ranking.

With Saudi Arabia frequently ranking among the top economies in the world for cybersecurity, the latest recognition by IIMD is a testament to the efforts of entities like the National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA), one of Saudi Arabia’s key national security enablers.

Saudi Arabia has cemented its leadership position through several initiatives to build a sound and sustainable cybersecurity ecosystem in the Kingdom. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has also designated the Kingdom as a global leader in cybersecurity, ranking Saudi Arabia second on its Global Cyber Security Index.

NCA is the primary national authority for cyber concerns in the Kingdom. It works to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s cyberspace, enabling it to protect national security and vital state interests. The Authority defends the Kingdom’s critical infrastructure, priority economic sectors, and government services and activities from cyber threats.

NCA sets the necessary standards for licensing the import, export, and use of hardware and software in terms of cybersecurity, while ensuring compliance with these standards. NCA’s work contributes to the creation of a secure and thriving economy that guarantees the prosperity of Saudi Arabia, and its people.

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A Social Media Ban for Under-16s Passes the Australian Senate and Will Soon be a World-first Law

A teenager uses his mobile phone to access social media, Sydney, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (Dean Lewins/AAP Image VIA AP)
A teenager uses his mobile phone to access social media, Sydney, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (Dean Lewins/AAP Image VIA AP)
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A Social Media Ban for Under-16s Passes the Australian Senate and Will Soon be a World-first Law

A teenager uses his mobile phone to access social media, Sydney, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (Dean Lewins/AAP Image VIA AP)
A teenager uses his mobile phone to access social media, Sydney, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (Dean Lewins/AAP Image VIA AP)

A social media ban for children under 16 passed the Australian Senate Thursday and will soon become a world-first law.

The law will make platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram liable for fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) for systemic failures to prevent children younger than 16 from holding accounts, The AP reported.

The Senate passed the bill 34 votes to 19. The House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved the legislation 102 votes to 13.

The House has yet to endorse opposition amendments made in the Senate. But that is a formality since the government has already agreed they will pass.

The platforms will have one year to work out how they could implement the ban before penalties are enforced.

The amendments bolster privacy protections. Platforms would not be allowed to compel users to provide government-issued identity documents including passports or driver’s licenses, nor could they demand digital identification through a government system.

The House is scheduled to pass the amendments on Friday. Critics of the legislation fear that banning young children from social media will impact the privacy of users who must establish they are older than 16.

While the major parties support the ban, many child welfare and mental health advocates are concerned about unintended consequences.

Sen. David Shoebridge, from the minority Greens party, said mental health experts agreed that the ban could dangerously isolate many children who used social media to find support.

“This policy will hurt vulnerable young people the most, especially in regional communities and especially the LGBTQI community, by cutting them off,” Shoebridge told the Senate.

Opposition Sen. Maria Kovacic said the bill was not radical but necessary.

“The core focus of this legislation is simple: It demands that social media companies take reasonable steps to identify and remove underage users from their platforms,” Kovacic told the Senate.

“This is a responsibility these companies should have been fulfilling long ago, but for too long they have shirked these responsibilities in favor of profit,” she added.

Online safety campaigner Sonya Ryan, whose 15-year-old daughter Carly was murdered by a 50-year-old pedophile who pretended to be a teenager online, described the Senate vote as a “monumental moment in protecting our children from horrendous harms online.”

“It’s too late for my daughter, Carly, and the many other children who have suffered terribly and those who have lost their lives in Australia, but let us stand together on their behalf and embrace this together,” she told the AP in an email.

Wayne Holdsworth, whose teenage son Mac took his own life after falling victim to an online sextortion scam, had advocated for the age restriction and took pride in its passage.

“I have always been a proud Australian, but for me subsequent to today’s Senate decision, I am bursting with pride,” Holdsworth told the AP in an email.