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Saudi Arabia Highlights Cybersecurity Achievements, Urges Global Collaboration at UN Debate

A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Highlights Cybersecurity Achievements, Urges Global Collaboration at UN Debate

A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN Dr. Abdulaziz Alwasil emphasized the critical need for a secure and reliable cyberspace that fuels growth and prosperity.

Speaking at a day-long UN Security Council debate on evolving cyberspace threats, Alwasil underscored the importance of prioritizing cybersecurity efforts globally, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Saturday.

He stressed that robust cybersecurity is essential for safeguarding nations' vital interests and national security.

Alwasil advocated for strengthened international cooperation in cybersecurity and urged combined efforts to mitigate cyber risks. He stressed the need for the international community to adopt a serious and practical approach to unifying global efforts against cyberspace threats through relevant UN committees and specialized bodies.

Moreover, he highlighted the significant and rapid progress achieved in Saudi Arabia's cybersecurity sector, which aligns with the goals outlined in Vision 2030.

The Kingdom has embarked on a transformative journey to develop the "Saudi model" in cybersecurity based on centralized governance and decentralized operability, he went on to say.

Alwasil detailed the Kingdom's accomplishments in cybersecurity, including achieving a global ranking of second, and first in the Arab world, the Middle East, and Asia according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Global Cybersecurity Index.

The Kingdom has also secured second place globally in 2022 and 2023 in the World Competitiveness Yearbook's cybersecurity indicator, published by the Swiss-based Institute for Management Development (IMD). This year, Saudi Arabia solidified its global leadership in cybersecurity by claiming the top spot in the World Competitiveness Yearbook.

Alwasil said the Kingdom's establishment of the Global Cybersecurity Forum (GCF), a Riyadh-based organization dedicated to bolstering cybersecurity on an international scale.

Alwasil emphasized Saudi Arabia's commitment to fostering regional cooperation in boosting cybersecurity. This commitment is exemplified by the establishment of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Cybersecurity Ministerial Committee and the League of Arab States (LAS) Arab Cybersecurity Ministerial Council, both spearheaded by Saudi Arabia.

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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.