The stringent cyber laws in the UAE are not for the faint of heart. The recent fining of Dhs 250,000 of a UAE expat for posting abusive tweets about a woman in Abu Dhabi is yet another indication of how seriously UAE takes its cybercrime laws. The man after being summoned by the cybercrime police apologised profusely but the damage had already been done as his tweets were found to be insulting and an aberration to the concerned woman’s reputation. Think three times before you post on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram say lawyers in Dubai. Here we have put together some of the most common social media violations that could land you in thick soup.
Cyber bullying is on the rise. For a few thrills people get the free pass to post and write whatever they want. Done behind a screen, all accountability is lost but not while you are in UAE. Here the punishment is a hefty fine of Dhs 250,000 which is not greater than Dhs 500,000 for posting anything that is contemptuous of others.
Recording, eavesdropping, copying, transmitting or disclosing someone else’s personal information is not taken lightly in the UAE. So posting someone’s very private pictures without their consent is tantamount to a breach of privacy and is liable for legal action amounting to imprisonment for 6 months or a huge fine of Dhs 150,000.
Anger on social media has never lead to anything good. Making threats, giving ultimatums or social media blackmail has been clamped down severely in the Gulf nations. It’s time to stop unleashing that anger on social media. Get a grip and join a zumba class to release the pent up emotions.
This one is a strict no-no. The Islamic code of conduct, its virtues, morals and values are taken very seriously in all Islamic nations world over. Slander that hurts their religious sentiments or offends their way of life could land you in prison for a very long time with the bleak possibility of a reprieve.
This one sounds frivolous but is not. Gulf nations with their state of the art, beautiful airports are a plane photographer’s paradise, but a commemorative picture could get you into some trouble. Not only are these places high security but it’s also against their law to take pictures of their military installations, palaces and courts. Case in point, in the year 2015, three British nationals were sentenced to two months imprisonment after they were caught taking photographs of airbuses.
In most cases, it is normal to ask someone for permission before you take their picture but apparently in the Gulf, this one is non-negotiable. If you get caught with the intent to post it on social media, be prepared to face the music. A hefty fine of Dhs 500,000 and imprisonment up to 6 months is what you will get especially if someone decides to complain.
Some people actually get a perverse pleasure in live recording a grisly accident and then uploading it on YouTube. UAE’s Ministry of Interior says circulating images and videos of their traffic violations and accidents especially aviation accidents could cost you a fine of Dhs 3 million, imprisonment and deportation.
Publicly talking about a fund raiser on Twitter and Facebook and appealing to users for charity and donation without permission is a punishable offence. In the previous year, an Australian citizen was charged for fundraising while trying to raise money for blankets for refugees in Afghanistan. The case was dropped after he was detained for two weeks.
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