Saudi Gazette report
RIYADH — Saudi Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary expressed his satisfaction over the positive reactions to the media regulation guidelines.
Addressing the government press conference in Riyadh on Monday, Al-Dossary noted that the General Authority for Media Regulation has worked to establish clear guidelines for content violations to help content creators better understand them and avoid committing such violations. The authority has also held workshops to clarify these guidelines.
He affirmed that the enhanced awareness and positive values of Saudi society constitute the first and most effective line of defense against harmful content.
Al-Dossary emphasized that combating harmful content that contradicts societal values requires decisive action, which the authority is undertaking as part of its duties.
However, he stressed that the best punishment for creators of harmful content is public rejection of their work, urging people not to engage with such content, nor to share or react to it, so that it will fade away and cease to exist.
The minister stressed that preserving values and the social identity is an inherent national principle and a fixed tenet.
He pointed out that negative content is very limited, constituting less than one percent while positive content, which includes education, awareness raising, and the dissemination of knowledge and cherished Saudi values, constitutes the majority.
Al-Dossary indicated that the General Authority for Media Regulation, in cooperation with regulatory partners, identified serious violations in the content of the Roblox game.
Following this, the authority held several meetings with the company to address these violations or to block the game. The company responded to these demands by removing voice and text chat features and blocking more than 300,000 inappropriate online games, pending the development of effective tools for monitoring digital content within games.
The minister emphasized two key points in this context: First, he stressed that "our children are a trust entrusted to us" and that "it is our duty to safeguard and protect them from any vulnerabilities in games or digital content, in order to build a better future for our nation. Secondly, the primary responsibility for protecting children does not lie solely with the General Authority for Media Regulation or any other regulatory body, but is fundamentally a family responsibility.
The minister called for families to play an active role in monitoring and supervising their children's online activities, implementing parental controls, and ensuring that the content they access is age-appropriate, in accordance with the age ratings established by the regulatory authority.
Al-Dossary indicated that the Kingdom is embarking on a historic transformation journey, guided by a vision that transforms the impossible into the possible, and the possible into achievements, ultimately creating a legacy that will grant the nation a renewed presence on the regional and global map.
The minister stated that the recent decisions issued by the leadership to achieve balance in the real estate sector have brought joy to the community, emphasizing that these decisions reflect the leadership's commitment to the well-being and stability of citizens and families, coinciding with the celebrations of the National Day.
The minister noted that in the media sector, six Saudi entities have won nine awards at the Sharjah Government Communication Awards, including three awards for the Ministry of Media.
"To further develop the sector, more than 14 companies submitted applications to the Media Fellowship Program, offering over 200 training and educational opportunities in modern media fields such as digital media, film production, video games, and data analytics," he added.
