Saudi Arabia's Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, known as the Haia, is aiming to set up a unit to combat cyber crimes.

 By ITP.net Staff Writer
According to Arab News, the Haia will establish a cyber crime unit at its Riyadh headquarters, which will initially focus on the issue of women being blackmailed online.

Saudi has recently seen an increasing number of reports of men attempting to blackmail women by threatening to post their photographs online. Use of mobile phone cameras and MMS has increased the circulation of photographs of women's faces, which under the Kingdom's strict traditions and customs, should not be revealed to non-relatives.

The General Presidency of the Commission will set up a temporary office in Riyadh. The group will also monitor illicit websites in the Kingdom, and will co-operate with other authorities to close such sites, the report said.