Lawyers call for agency to deal with IT crimes

RIYADH — Lawyers are calling for the establishment of a specialized legal authority to deal with information technology crimes. Lawyer Khalid Al-Siraihi underscored the need for such a specialized legal authority. “The Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution should have a directorate to investigate information technology crimes exclusively. That way, information technology crimes are dealt with quickly and effectively with the consultancy of experts,” Al-Siraihi said. Faisal Al-Attas, another Saudi lawyer, agreed. He said social media crimes are increasing rapidly and there needs to be a legal authority that is equipped to deal with these crimes. “People are reporting defamation, threats, blackmailing and other crimes they are subjected to through social media and the Internet. There should be an authority that is in constant contact with the Communications and Information Technology Commission in order to understand the technical aspect of these crimes,” Al-Attas said.