Riyadh-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is working on fighting online extortion, identity theft, and cyber begging through several methods.

Of the proposed techniques, officials are planning on drafting guidelines to protect Gulf citizens and their personal information. In addition, online app companies will be requested to review personal data of the Gulf citizens inside countries of the region and not outside them.

A Gulf source told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that the Gulf countries had delegated Qatar to draft the framework of the guidelines. The source said countries of the GCC can use this draft document when dealing with app companies to retrieve information of the persons trying to extort or beg for money from others.

The source added that under secretaries of the post, communication, and information technology ministries at the GCC presented three recommendations to fighting extortion, identity theft, and cyber begging.

The first recommendation included exchange of experiences on media campaigns executed by special parties of the GCC. The exchange of experience has proven to be productive in reducing the negative effects of cyber extortion.

As for the second recommendation, the under secretaries stressed the importance of coordination and cooperation between media officials to alert people and communities on the dangers of online extortion and begging.

Thirdly, it was agreed for the general secretariat of the GCC and the media committees that fall under its authority to execute joint media campaigns to inform the citizens of the dangers of online identity theft, extortion, and begging.

The campaign will also seek on notifying citizens about the reasons that lead to extortion and means of dealing with online extortion and begging in the event it took place.