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Pay up to AED 500,000 fine and face jail-time for sharing someone’s secrets online in the country
18 October 2018
| Last updated on 31 March 2019
Residents and citizens of the UAE should be very aware that divulging someone’s sensitive information online could result in heavy penalities.
Whether the information is deemed true or not, divulging an individual’s private information online can land you in extremely hot water in the UAE.
Sharing someone’s secrets online can result in you receiving a fine between AED 150,000 and AED 500,000 and 6 months in jail. It’s a law that all individuals residing in the UAE should be very aware of.
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After all, all online interactions on social networking sites are scanned in the UAE, and the country has serious privacy laws in place to protect Internet users living here.
So if you’re ever in a position where you feel the need to share someone’s private information or experiences online – don’t. Else you’ll face hefty penalties.
The UAE Cyber Crimes Law in place
As per Article 21 of the Federal Decree- Law 5 of 2012 on Combatting Cybercrimes, it is prohibited to publish material through websites online that include the disclosure of secrets relating to private or family life, even if it is true, without the consent of the victim.
You can find Article 21 in full below…
It states, an individual "Shall be punished by imprisonment of a period of at least six months and a fine not less than one hundred and fifty thousand dirhams and not in excess of five hundred thousand dirhams or either of these two penalties whoever uses a computer network or and electronic information system or any information technology means for the invasion of privacy of another person in other than the cases allowed by the law and by any of the following ways:
- Eavesdropping, interception, recording, transferring, transmitting or disclosure of conversations or communications, or audio or visual materials.
- Photographing others or creating, transferring, disclosing, copying or saving electronic photos.
- Publishing news, electronic photos or photographs, scenes, comments, statements or information even if true and correct."
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The perpetrator "shall also be punished by imprisonment for a period of at least one year and a fine not less than two hundred and fifty thousand dirhams and not in excess of five hundred thousand dirhams or either of these two penalties whoever uses an electronic information system or any information technology means for amending or processing a record, photo or scene for the purpose of defamation of or offending another person or for attacking or invading his privacy."
