More People Misusing Social Media in Bahrain – WhatsApp Tops the List

TDT | Manama

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Recent data has revealed a noticeable rise in cases related to the misuse of communication tools especially social media in Bahrain over the past few years.

In the last three years alone, the Public Prosecution has handled around 3,683 cases involving the misuse of communication platforms. In 2024, 1,408 cases were filed under the Cybercrime Prosecution, marking a 7% increase compared to 2023 (which saw 1,314 cases), while 2022 had just 961 cases.

In response to the growing threat of online offenses, Attorney General Dr. Ali bin Fadhel Al Buainain issued a decision in November 2022 to establish a dedicated Cybercrime Prosecution Unit. The aim was to better keep up with the evolving nature of digital crimes, speed up investigations, and strengthen the handling of digital evidence.

More recently, this unit has dealt with a large number of cases where individuals—both citizens and residents—were found to be misusing social media to spread values and behaviors that are considered foreign to Bahraini society.

Legal experts and lawyers voiced their support for the steps taken by the Public Prosecution and the Ministry of Interior’s Cybercrime Directorate. They also agreed that, as social media usage continues to grow, stricter laws are needed to protect society from its misuse.

According to new statistics compiled by Al-Ayam, WhatsApp was involved in over half of all social media abuse cases handled since 2022. Out of 2,521 total cases related to social media misuse during this period, 1,321 were linked to WhatsApp, accounting for 52% of the total.

In second place was Instagram, with 605 cases (24%). TikTok came in third with 181 cases, followed by Facebook (163 cases), and X (formerly Twitter) with just 65 cases.