By Jon Gambrell
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) --Gulf Arab countries on Tuesday asked Netflix to remove "offensive content" on the streaming service, apparently targeting programs that show people who are gay and lesbian.
A joint statement issued on behalf of a committee of the Gulf Cooperation Council made the request, saying the unspecified programs "contradict Islamic and societal values and principles."
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates each published the statement via their respective governments as well. They, along with Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar, make up the six-nation council.
While the statement didn't elaborate, Saudi state television also aired video of an interview it conducted with a woman identified as a "behavioral consultant" who described Netflix as being an "official sponsor of homosexuality." It aired footage at the same time of a cartoon that had two women embrace, though the footage was blurred out.
Saudi state television also aired a segment suggesting Netflix could be banned in the kingdom over that programming reaching children.
Netflix, based in Los Gatos, California, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
The move comes after countries in the Muslim world in June banned the public showing of Disney's latest animated film "Lightyear" over a brief moment showing two lesbian characters kissing. After that, the company's Disney+ streaming service said its "content available should align with local regulatory requirements" in Gulf Arab countries.
Many Muslims consider gays and lesbians to be sinful. In some parts of the Arab world, members of the LGBTQ community have been arrested and sentenced to prison. Some countries even maintain the death penalty.
The move also comes as regional streaming services try to eat into Netflix's revenue, including the Shahid service operated by the Saudi-owned MBC Group. The Saudi government is believed to hold a controlling stake in MBC Group after a series of arrests in 2017 ordered by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over corruption allegations that saw him centralize power in the kingdom.
Netflix has limited content previously in Saudi Arabia.
In 2019, activists blasted the streaming service for pulling an episode of comedian Hasan Minhaj's "Patriot Act" that criticized Prince Mohammed over the killing and dismemberment of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, as well as the kingdom's involvement in the war in Yemen.
Netflix at the time said the episode was removed from the kingdom as a result of a legal request from authorities and not due to its content.
Canada orders TikTok’s Canadian business to be dissolved but won’t block app
Canada announced Wednesday it won't block access to the popular video-sharing app TikTok but is ordering the dissolution of its Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind it.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne said it is meant to address risks related to ByteDance Ltd.'s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.
"The government is not blocking Canadians' access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content. The decision to use a social media application or platform is a personal choice," Champagne said.
Champagne said it is important for Canadians to adopt good cybersecurity practices, including protecting their personal information.
He said the dissolution order was made in accordance with the Investment Canada Act, which allows for the review of foreign investments that may harm Canada's national security. He said the decision was based on information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada's security and intelligence community and other government partners.
A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of local jobs.
"We will challenge this order in court," the spokesperson said. "The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive."
TikTok is wildly popular with young people, but its Chinese ownership has raised fears that Beijing could use it to collect data on Western users or push pro-China narratives and misinformation. TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company that moved its headquarters to Singapore in 2020.
TikTok faces intensifying scrutiny... Read More