Snapchat blocks Al Jazeera channel in Saudi Arabia

News channel Al Jazeera has had its channel blocked on picture messaging app Snapchat in Saudi Arabia, after a government request.

The social media company said it was asked by Saudi authorities to pull the channel, on the grounds that it was breaking laws related to published material and cyber crime.

The Qatari-backed broadcaster has been caught up in a dispute in the Middle East in which Saudi Arabia and its allies have cut ties with the state, accusing it of funding terrorism.

In a list of 13 demands sent to Qatar earlier this year, Saudi, Bahrain, Egypt and the UAE ordered the channel to be shut down completely.

“We make an effort to comply with local laws in the countries where we operate,” Snap said in a statement.

Al Jazeera responded to the removal of its channel by describing the action as ‘alarming and worrying’.

The network’s acting director general Mostefa Souag said the move was an attack against press freedom.

"This sends a message that regimes and countries can silence any voice or platform they don't agree with by exerting pressure on the owners of social media platforms and content distribution companies," Souag said.

"This step is a clear attack on the rights of journalists and media professionals to report and cover stories freely from around the world," he added.