Article 12 of the Saudi E-Commerce Law
المادة 12 من نظام التجارة الإلكترونية
The Article allows the Ministry to require a service provider who violated the electronic advertisement provisions to remove the violation or withdraw the advertisement within one day of being notified, without prejudice to penalties.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
مع عدم الإخلال بإيقاع العقوبات الواردة في المادة (الثامنة عشرة) من النظام، إذا ثبت أن موفر الخدمة خالف أيًّا من أحكام الفقرة (2) من المادة (العاشرة) أو المادة (الحادية عشرة) من النظام، فللوزارة إلزامه بإزالة المخالفة أو بسحب الإعلان خلال يوم واحد من تاريخ إبلاغه.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 12 explained in plain English
This Article gives the Ministry a quick tool to deal with violating electronic advertisements, without waiting for the penalty procedures to finish.
When does it apply? If it is established that the service provider violated either:
- the provisions of paragraph (2) of Article 10 of the Law, or
- Article 11 of the Law, which prohibits an electronic advertisement from containing false claims or wording likely to deceive or mislead the consumer, or a logo or trademark the service provider has no right to use, or a counterfeit mark.
What does the Ministry do? It may require the service provider to do one of two things:
- Remove the violation from the advertisement, or
- Withdraw the advertisement entirely.
This must be done within one day of the date he is notified. The period is very short, and starts to run from the date of notification.
Relation to penalties: the Article begins with the phrase "without prejudice to imposing the penalties in Article (18)", meaning that requiring the service provider to remove the violation or withdraw the advertisement does not prevent imposing those penalties on him. Removal is a measure to stop the effect of the violation, and the penalty is another matter.
The Article uses the phrase "the Ministry may", meaning this requirement is a power the Ministry assesses. A service provider who receives a notification of this kind, or wants to object to it, would do well to consult a lawyer specialized in commercial cases without delay because of the short period.
Practical example
An online store in Jeddah received a notification from the Ministry that its advertisement for a perfume uses a trademark logo it has no right to use. Under the Article, the Ministry may require it to remove the logo from the advertisement or withdraw the advertisement within one day of its notification, and this does not prevent imposing the penalties in Article 18.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 12 of the Saudi E-Commerce Law
How long is there to withdraw a violating advertisement after the Ministry's notification?
One day from the date the service provider is notified.
Does withdrawing the advertisement exempt the store from the penalty?
No, the Article provides that this requirement is without prejudice to imposing the penalties in Article 18.
What violations let the Ministry require an advertisement's withdrawal?
Violating paragraph 2 of Article 10 or Article 11, such as false or misleading claims or counterfeit or unowned trademarks.
Articles this article refers to
- Article 18
The article sets the penalties for violating the E-Commerce Law or its regulations: a warning, a fine up to SAR 1,000,000, suspension of activity, and blocking of the online store, without prejudice to a harsher penalty.
مع عدم الاخلال بأي عقوبة أشد ينص عليها نظام آخر، يعاقب كل من يخالف أيًّا من أحكام النظام أو اللائحة بواحدة أو أكثر من العقوبات الآتية: أ- الإنذار. ب- غرامة لا ت
- Article 10
The Article makes the electronic advertisement a supplementary contractual document binding on the parties, and requires it to include the product or service name, the service provider's name and his contact means.
1- يُعد الإعلان الإلكتروني من الوثائق التعاقدية المكملة للعقود وملزمة لأطراف العقد. 2- يجب أن يتضمن الإعلان الإلكتروني ما يأتي: أ- اسم المنتج أو الخدمة المعلن ع
- Article 11
The Article bars an electronic advertisement from containing false claims or wording that deceives or misleads the consumer, or a logo or trademark the advertiser has no right to use or that is counterfeit.
يحظر تضمين الإعلان الإلكتروني ما يأتي: أ- عرضاً أو بياناً أو ادعاء كاذباً أو مصوغاً بعبارات من شأنها أن تؤدي بصورة مباشرة أو غير مباشرة إلى خداع المستهلك أو تضل
More articles on Online Advertising
- Article 10
The Article makes the electronic advertisement a supplementary contractual document binding on the parties, and requires it to include the product or service name, the service provider's name and his contact means.
1- يُعد الإعلان الإلكتروني من الوثائق التعاقدية المكملة للعقود وملزمة لأطراف العقد. 2- يجب أن يتضمن الإعلان الإلكتروني ما يأتي: أ- اسم المنتج أو الخدمة المعلن ع
- Article 11
The Article bars an electronic advertisement from containing false claims or wording that deceives or misleads the consumer, or a logo or trademark the advertiser has no right to use or that is counterfeit.
يحظر تضمين الإعلان الإلكتروني ما يأتي: أ- عرضاً أو بياناً أو ادعاء كاذباً أو مصوغاً بعبارات من شأنها أن تؤدي بصورة مباشرة أو غير مباشرة إلى خداع المستهلك أو تضل
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.