Since 2019, Saudi Arabia has lifted many of the restrictions imposed on women under the male guardianship system, with Crown Prince MBS praising these measures as evidence of the kingdom’s progress towards gender equality. Among other reforms, women over 21 were granted the right to obtain passports and travel without a male guardian’s permission. Yet in practice, the reality of women’s autonomy in Saudi Arabia remains far more complex than any legislative amendment might suggest. Women remain constrained by enduring social prejudice and discriminatory attitudes, manifesting increasingly behind a layer of digital control. Saudi Arabia’s online spaces continue to reproduce patriarchal hierarchies, enabling online harassment and restrictions that limit women’s freedoms in the virtual sphere.
The rise of an interconnected digital community on the internet has made Saudi women more visible and active in public discourse, something that was largely uncommon and impossible in the past. Yet women are heavily pressured and discouraged from engaging in online activism, their visibility often being perceived as a threat. The online presence of high-profile female activists has triggered significant levels of digital violence against women, including online verbal abuse, frequent unsolicited contact, and even stalking. According to recent studies, one in four women using internet platforms in Saudi Arabia has experienced at least one form of digital violence. This shows how, with formal guardianship laws now partially dismantled, discrimination has largely shifted into digital spaces, where it continues to reinforce offline social hierarchies.
One of the most common tactics employed against women activists is the use of so-called “electronic armies”, composed of networks of coordinated social media users who assume false identities and conduct online hate campaigns to intimidate peaceful dissidents. Many of these actors operate as unofficial agents of the Saudi government. These groups communicate through encrypted platforms such as Telegram and Whatsapp, where they receive lists of targets to harass, meeting daily quotas of abusive messages and tweets. The impact of these digital attacks extends beyond the digital sphere, often escalating into physical harm.
Saudi Arabia’s digital repression of women is not only domestic. It also targets exiled activists as part of a transnational network of repression that undermines digital rights and freedom of expression. According to a Freedom House report, women have been disproportionately targeted in the kingdom’s transnational campaigns in comparison to their male counterparts. In fact, since MBS’s rise to power, the government’s intensified gender-based repression coincided with a sharp increase in the number of Saudi women seeking asylum abroad. Yet, activists abroad remain subject to punitive measures, with Saudi authorities reportedly using spyware and online harassment to monitor and intimidate women.
In light of this ongoing persecution, the government’s promotion of Digital Saudi 2030, a central part of the Vision 2030 initiative, appears deeply contradictory and deceiving. There is a concerning discrepancy between Saudi Arabia’s rhetoric of digital modernization and its continued use of censorship, surveillance and repression against activists. For example, the enactment of the Personal Status Law in 2022 was framed as a major reform in the struggle against gender discrimination. While the government celebrates the law, experts argue that it codifies several discriminatory practices, including the requirement for women to obtain a guardian’s consent to marry. Women’s rights activists in Saudi Arabia, who had long advocated for a codified Personal Status Law, were excluded from the drafting process and silenced when they sought to comment publicly on it. Many faced arbitrary arrest, detention, and travel bans, demonstrating the kingdom’s intolerance toward women’s civic participation.
A 2024 World Bank report on Women, Business, and the Law suggests a lack of mechanisms to ensure the effective implementation of laws relating to women’s rights in Saudi Arabia. This stems from insufficient supportive frameworks and government-led services that ensure the protection of women’s rights in practice. The findings reveal a disconnect between women’s growing participation in the digital economy and their continued vulnerability online. To address this gap, Saudi Arabia must move beyond its legislative promises and implement practical measures to protect women in digital spaces.
Despite formal legal reforms, Saudi women continue to face higher risks of violence in digital spaces, highlighting how patriarchal norms remain deeply entrenched in society. Women who engage online are vulnerable to harassment and targeted repression by both state authorities and members of society. DR4G demands that the Saudi government implements comprehensive protections tailored to the specific forms of digital violence that women face. This must include safety measures and accessible resources to mitigate online harassment, as well as transparent investigations into violations by authorities. Only by aligning legislative reform with practical frameworks can women be protected from digital violations to make their voices heard in public discourse.
