Netflix’s balancing act: Saudi law vs freedom of speech

Though Netflix has not released specifics on the number of subscribers in the country, the recent controversy over its removal of an episode of comedian Hasan Minhaj’s show “Patriot Act” is throwing a sharp spotlight on how media and tech companies balance artistic freedom against local laws, and their business.

Last week Netflix pulled the episode for viewers in Saudi Arabia after officials there complained to Netflix that the episode, first posted in October, violated an article of the country’s anti-cyber crime law.