Rabat – Continuing the troubling pattern involving Moroccan “influencers,” social media personality Reda Bouzidi, known as “Ould Chinwiya,” was sentenced to three years in prison after a court hearing that lasted until midnight.
Bouzidi was convicted alongside another social media figure, known as “Bent Abbas,” who received two and a half years in prison. The two were found guilty of defamation, public insults, and threatening others through social media platforms.
The court proceedings and the subsequent sentences sparked outrage among their families and supporters, who gathered outside the courthouse, crying and shouting in protest of the rulings.
Ould Chinwiya, along with his family members and Bent Abbas, was initially charged with public insults, defamation, and violating privacy through social media. The allegations also included disrupting public facilities and issuing threats. The court ultimately ordered his arrest last month alongside Bent Abbas after their cases drew widespread public attention.
Ould Chinwiya is not an isolated incident involving Moroccan “influencers.” In recent years, Morocco has witnessed a troubling pattern among social media influencers and content creators.
Clout chasing?
As the term “influencer” gained popularity and content creation became a lucrative field, many Moroccan creators found themselves entangled in legal issues. Once they realized the potential for earning money through social media, many began chasing views, fame, and financial gain at any cost.
And in this quest for clout, some influencers resorted to outrageous tactics, including making provocative videos about one another and engaging in online feuds.
What initially seemed like staged drama between influencers seeking views quickly escalated into personal insults and attacks, the spreading of rumors, and defamation. This cycle of seeking attention and stirring controversy has led to numerous arrests and jail sentences, tarnishing the reputation of the concerned.
This was the case of several Moroccan “influencers,” including streamer Ilyas El-Malki, who was sentenced to four months in prison last month shortly after serving another sentence for physically assaulting another creator. His recent arrest occurred after accusations of hate speech against Amazigh people, which he made during one of his live streams.
In 2022, content creator Fatiha and her husband were sentenced to two years in prison after posting videos that contained disturbing images.
Another prominent example is the case of singer Dunia Batma and her sister Ibtissam, who were implicated in the infamous “Hamza Mon Bebe” scandal. The singer is currently serving a one-year prison sentence, while her sister served her one-year sentence in 2020 for their involvement in the same case.
The charges against them included accessing personal data and disseminating private conversations and pictures of victims through online platforms without consent. The “Hamza Mon Bebe” account, which was active for years, was notorious for exposing private details, ruining lives, and sparking scandals.
This account became a tool for influencers to settle scores, either seeking revenge or attempting to destroy the careers of others. Many influencers were jailed for their involvement in managing or contributing to the account.
