The Saudi Ministry of Communications and Information Technology signed what it described as a strategic partnership yesterday, Thursday, with US company Snap Inc., the owner and operator of the Snapchat app.

The agreement provides for an exchange of benefits between the two parties: the Saudi side pays the money, while the US side provides technology-related content creation services for Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi agreement with Snap Inc. moves Snapchat into an unsafe zone when it comes to the data and privacy of Saudi citizens who use the app, as their data will become fully exposed to the security team of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

A technology expert said that Snapchat is inherently a threat to privacy and has had agreements with the Saudi regime for years, but that it has now become even more dangerous.

The “strategic agreement” with Snap Inc. comes at a time when platforms opposed to the Saudi government are facing an unprecedented wave of targeting.