Yusuf Al-Muhaimeed Al-Jazirah For over half a century, many modern inventions are being used in two ways — positive and negative. This means that even if the purpose of the invention was to provide an important and noble humanitarian service, man may use the invention for bad purposes and even to harm others. WhatsApp occupies an important place in many people's lives today. It is a free platform to bring together people with similar interests, including relatives and friends. Hence, it is useful to encourage communication as well as to maintain good human relations. It is also a good means of exchanging information without meeting someone in person. At the same time, WhatsApp is used to sometimes spread rumors. As a result, rumors spread fast and there is little chance of the information being verified. This is a shameful matter that might harm those affected. WhatsApp can be used to backbite others and also create enmity and hatred among people. Expatriates who illegally run businesses in the Kingdom use this application to connect with each other and coordinate their operations. They exchange information on municipality teams carrying out inspection campaigns. The moment a municipality inspector stands in front of a shop, a warning message is sent to a WhatsApp group whose members are the owners of shops in the neighborhood. The aim is to alert them to close their shops and watch from a distance until they receive another message informing them that the inspection team has left. Of course, this is a cyber crime punishable by law. These crimes harm the state and so are different from cases involving defamation and blackmail. Technology has taken us by surprise and social media has given us the opportunity to communicate and interact with one another continuously and easily. At the same time, it has entangled us in cases that we were not aware are punishable by law. As usual, awareness campaigns do not convey messages on the danger and sensitivity of these programs and applications. Using them in certain ways is tantamount to crime.
