UAE Social Media Warning: Dubai Social Media Summit 2016

Social Media Users Beware: The Dubai Press Club has announced the second Arab Social Media Influencers Summit in December Gulf News reports that “the UAE considers communication as a key principle” and yet the use of social media is a leading cause of arrests in the UAE. With the UAE`s cybercrime laws, everyone who is online (and nowadays, that is almost everyone) can inadvertently break the law and be jailed. Common offences include slander, defamation and even sharing or “liking” charities or fundraisers that are not registered in the UAE. It is not unusual to be victim to accusations of slander, defamation or offensive statements. More people open police complaints for petty reasons in the UAE than any other country. Simply giving an opinion on a “hot topic” could lead to arrest. In some cases, people who have an axe to grind have wilfully stalked their online prey, waiting for them to say something that could be considered offensive to then report the post to the police. Authorities in the UAE take reports so seriously, that even the most mindless of posts could leave someone facing prosecution, imprisonment and deportation. We have represented and assisted numerous people who have faced such charges and while it may seem far fetched, the reality is that anyone who is using social media in the UAE must be constantly diligent about their actions or they too, could end up facing serious charges.