Electronic Extortion

Legally, Extortion is a method of coercion exercised by the offender on the victim, to induce him to carry out a specific act that may be intended to obtain sexual or material desires. Thus, Electronic Extortion is a threating and frightening the victim by posting pictures, films or leaking confidential information belonging to the victim, in order to pay money or exploiting the victim to be involved in illegal acts for the account of (extortionists) such as disclosure of confidential information for the employer or other illegal acts, and usually victims hunted through e-mail or social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media because of its widespread and used by all segments of society.

Regarding to the Bahraini legislator's view for the crime of extortion, she dealt with every new technical development brings us more prosperity to our lives, but it carries with it negative aspects that expose us to new forms of offences, includes facilitating the crime of extortion.

 Noting that the Bahraini legislator tried to find the necessary laws to control abusive persons in their use of social media sites, as well as control these means and protect people, especially the most vulnerable legislations such as children from the evils of some users.

It was found that the punishment prescribed for the crime of extortion, according to Article 363 of the Bahraini Penal Code is imprisonment not exceeding one year or a fine not exceeding 100 dinars, and that the law stipulates that if the threat is related to a request or an interest, is deemed to be an aggravating circumstance, that there is a possibility of doubling the original sentence, however, under the technical development, there is an urgent need to harsher the punishment for such crimes, and the Bahraini legislator has responded to develop the quality of extortion crimes and connected it to the organized electronic crime, and issued the Anti-Cybercrime Law and now discussing to stiffer penalties by opening a comprehensive societal discussion of views and perceptions in line with the rapid technical development and its association with the evolution of crime and its different forms than ever before.

Article 4 of the Cybercrime Law stipulates that "Without prejudice to harsher penalty in any other law, any person who commits one of the following cybercrimes shall be subject to imprisonment and a fine not exceeding one hundred thousand dinars or to either punishment, and resulted from Eavesdropping, capture photos or objection without legal justification using technical means is considered as an aggravating circumstance.