Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Jul 25, 2025

Gulf nations demand Netflix remove ‘offensive’ content

Gulf nations demand Netflix remove ‘offensive’ content

A GCC committee said the unspecified content ‘violates Islamic and societal values and principles’.

Gulf Arab countries have demanded that the streaming service Netflix remove “offensive content”, citing unspecified material that “violates Islamic and societal values and principals”.

A special committee of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a regional organisation that includes Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman, made the request in a statement on Tuesday.

“[Netflix] was contacted to remove this content, including content directed at children, and to ensure adherence to the laws,” the joint statement from the GCC committee and the Saudi General Commission for Audiovisual Media noted.




The move appears to be in response to Netflix airing content that includes LGBTQ characters, as well as other material deemed “immoral”.

Saudi state television aired a report on Tuesday that included an interview with a woman identified as a “behavioural consultant” who described Netflix as being an “official sponsor of homosexuality”.

It also aired footage of an animated show that streams on Netflix, Jurassic Park: Camp Cretaceous, which showed two female characters kissing, though the footage was blurred out.

A separate segment on Saudi state television also suggested that Netflix could be banned in the kingdom over programming deemed to negatively influence children.

The California-based Netflix has yet to make a comment on the statement from the GCC committee.


Previous bans


The Gulf statement comes after a number of Muslim-majority countries banned the public showing of Disney’s animated film Lightyear in June over a brief moment showing two women kissing.

In the aftermath, the company’s Disney+ streaming service said its “content available should align with local regulatory requirements” in Gulf Arab countries.

At least 14 countries had banned the movie over the scene.

Lightyear is part of the Toy Story movie franchise that has made billions in revenue worldwide since the first instalment was released in 1995.

The Marvel movie Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness was also banned in April by Saudi Arabia and Egypt for LGBTQ references.

Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays the title character, called the controversy “mind-boggling” and said that he hoped “somehow fans of the film in Saudi Arabia of every sexuality are able to see it at some point somehow”.

In September, the Saudi government urged YouTube to delete “inappropriate ads” that went against the laws and regulations of the country.

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 holds a controlling stake in MBC Group after a series of asset seizures during an anti-corruption investigation in 2018.



Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
×