Gulf countries demand the removal of content deemed offensive on Netflix

Europe 1 with AFP 3:44 p.m., September 07, 2022

Saudi Arabia and its Gulf neighbors have asked Netflix to remove content deemed "contrary to Islamic and societal values", threatening the subscription video-on-demand platform with legal action, according to a statement released on Tuesday.

The streaming giant did not react immediately.

Denunciation of "scenes promoting homosexuality"

The joint statement from the telecommunications police of Saudi Arabia and the other five members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) does not specify the nature of the content deemed offensive. 

Saudi media were more explicit about content deemed offensive in the statement from GCC countries, citing films featuring LGBTQ characters.

The state channel Al-Ekhbariya denounced "films and series for children containing scenes promoting homosexuality via Netflix".

In a live interview, a lawyer lamented "very inappropriate and painful scenes for our children, our grandchildren and the future generation."

In a separate section, the Al-Ekhbariya channel showed scenes from the animated film 

 in which two female characters, whose faces were blurred, kiss.

Questions of gender and sexual freedom remain taboo

Under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia has opened up to entertainment and major world events, but political and social restrictions remain very strong.

In 2017, authorities lifted the cinema ban.

In April, Saudi Arabia asked Disney to remove "LGBTQ references" from Marvel's

to allow it to be shown in theaters in the ultraconservative kingdom.

Disney did not comply and the film was not screened in Arabia.

Gender and sexual freedom issues are still very taboo in many Arab countries, especially the Gulf monarchies.

In June, the United Arab Emirates banned Pixar Studios' animated film 

, which contains a fleeting kissing scene between two women living together.