A man has been remanded in custody pending an investigation into allegations that he fabricated visual content using artificial intelligence (AI) applications and published it on social media in a way that could jeopardise national security and disturb public order.
The Public Prosecution yesterday said that it had received a report from the General Directorate for Anti-Corruption and Economic and Electronic Security’s Cybercrime Directorate.
The report concerned a widely circulated video that allegedly depicted a residential neighbourhood under bombardment as a result of hostile and terrorist acts. The footage caused alarm and panic among the public.
The suspect’s age and nationality were not disclosed.
The authorities swiftly launched an investigation and questioned the defendant, who reportedly admitted to sharing the fabricated content via one of his social media accounts, which has approximately 15,000 followers.
The video sparked astonishment among his audience due to its alarming scenes, which suggested that severe damage had occurred in a residential neighbourhood in the kingdom.
As part of the investigation, the Public Prosecution also ordered a forensic examination of the mobile phone used to publish the footage.
It stressed that the creation or dissemination of fabricated or artificially generated visual content that could mislead the public into believing that serious damage has occurred within the kingdom exposes those responsible to legal consequences. Such offences may carry a penalty of up to two years’ imprisonment and a fine.
The authorities reaffirmed their commitment to responding firmly to such acts and reiterated that they will not tolerate the misuse of social media platforms to spread content that undermines public security or incites fear within society.
Earlier this week, eight individuals were identified and arrested for allegedly publishing videos and content expressing sympathy with the Iranian aggression on the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain.
The men – identified as Hussain Al Aswad, Ali Khamis, Sameer Aziz, Al Sayed Baqer, Ebrahim Ghfeil, Mohammed Naim, Abdulla Abbas and Eshtisham Mohamed – were apprehended and accused of being involved in committing serious violations affecting the security and stability of society. The individuals allegedly circulated fabricated images generated using AI techniques, falsely depicting damage to several homes, and shared the content through their social media accounts.
Meanwhile, the Filipino Embassy issued a statement reminding all members of the community to refrain from not just taking photos and videos, but also sharing them on social media platforms.
They have also been warned against conducting unauthorised live streams and posting AI-generated images on online platforms that could violate the kingdom’s cyber regulations.
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