The issues of freedom of speech as well as the freedom of expression in journalism are actively discussed in the context of media regulations that are used in different countries to control the media sphere. In his article “Arab Media Regulations: Identifying Restraints on Freedom of the Press in the Laws of Six Arabian Peninsula Countries” that was published in 2014, Matt Duffy analyzed specific media regulations that are followed in six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in contrast to traditional regulations typical for the Western countries or international approaches (Duffy, 2014, p. 2). Thus, Duffy states that media regulations characteristic for such GCC countries as Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates are stricter than the regulations adopted in the Western countries because the discussed legislation is also developed to control the relationship between media and the public order as well as prevent false news and issues of defamation. Summary of the Main Points The article presents the analysis of the media regulations in the GCC countries in comparison with the international regulations and policies adopted in the Western world. The events of the ‘Arab Spring’ are discussed by Duffy as the trigger to pay attention to the role of media in influencing the public views and movements in the Arab world (Duffy, 2014, p. 1). The further discussion of the media regulations is provided based on the analysis of primary and secondary sources. Duffy chose to analyze the legislation related to the media spheres in the GCC countries and such secondary sources as newspaper articles and blogs in order to identify how media regulations can affect the character of the information presentation in press and online. The analysis was supported with the theoretical framework based on the statements from the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) regarding the correlation between the right to free expression and legal obligations. As a result, the analyzed media regulations were divided into those ones correlated with the international norms according to the ICCPR and the legislation that was found outside the framework (Duffy, 2014, p. 10). The analysis and comparison of the regulations was also supported with the provided recommendations to balance the freedom of expression against the existing legislation in the GCC countries. Significance of the Author’s Ideas and Arguments In his research, Duffy focuses on a range of points that are important to be discussed in the context of the media regulations and their role to support the freedom of expression in the GCC countries. Duffy’s research can be considered as rather unique in its area because there is a significant research gap in the field due to the lack of unbiased studies conducted by non-Arab scholars (Duffy, 2014, p. 7). From this point, the author’s work is important to add to the limited knowledge in the sphere of medial regulations and the GCC countries. The researcher found that the differences of the regulations in the GCC countries in comparison with the international approaches are the result of the specific cultural background. Therefore, defamation can become a criminal case, the iss