Dr. Jamal Al Kaabi warns that no platform, not even a family WhatsApp group, is exempt from UAE media law
The Secretary General of the UAE National Media Authority has issued a stark warning about the legal consequences of irresponsible social media use, citing a series of real cases in which individuals faced prosecution, account deletions, and imprisonment for content that violated the country’s media laws.
Speaking at a recent address, Dr. Jamal Mohammed Al Kaabi stressed that even private family WhatsApp groups are considered media platforms under UAE law, meaning any content shared within them that violates regulations is subject to legal accountability. He outlined several categories of violations, each illustrated by concrete examples.
1. Respecting religious beliefs
Among the most serious violations highlighted was an incident involving a video that circulated widely online, in which a man visited petrol stations across the UAE offering cash to workers in exchange for reciting the Islamic declaration.
Al Kaabi described the video as deeply offensive to Islamic beliefs, noting that it constituted a direct violation of the law protecting the sanctity of religious convictions. The individual was held accountable under provisions that prohibit content disrespecting Islamic doctrine.
2. Respecting law enforcement
A second example involved a man who had been involved in a theft and required police assistance. Rather than cooperating, the individual filmed the officers while they were actively trying to help him, continuing to record even after being repeatedly asked to stop.
Al Kaabi clarified that filming police officers in the course of their duties without permission is prohibited under UAE law. The video, which was shared online, was treated as a violation of regulations governing respect for public order and state institutions.
3. Protecting cultural heritage and national identity
He also addressed the misuse of the Emirati national dress, the kandura, warning that wearing it in a manner that demeans or distorts its cultural significance is a punishable offence. He emphasised that the national dress is an emblem of Emirati identity and heritage, and that any content whether satirical, commercial, or otherwise that disrespects it will be acted upon.
4. The national currency
One of the more nuanced examples involved a flower shop that ran a Valentine’s Day promotional video. The shop advertised ten bouquets priced at Dh10,000 each, with each bouquet containing the National Currency as part of the arrangement.
While the use of currency as a gift is not inherently illegal, Al Kaabi explained that the problem lay in how the video was framed and how these ten bouquets from one person to 10 different people, the promotion was seen as exploiting and commercialising the national currency in a manner that was disrespectful to its symbolic value and harmful to public sensibilities.
The flower shop was summoned by the authority, the video was taken down, and the business was formally warned about the applicable laws and the boundaries of permissible advertising content.
This case falls under the regulation protecting the national currency from being used in ways that undermine its dignity he mention also an example of someone who placed a dirham coin on charcoal and put scented oud on top.
5. Privacy violations
The Secretary General drew attention to the growing problem of individuals being filmed in public without their knowledge or consent, with the footage then shared on social media. He stressed that this applies even to public figures if a celebrity or well-known personality has not consented to being filmed, or is in a situation where filming is inappropriate, sharing such footage constitutes a privacy violation.
6. Fake news: The Covid-19 family story
Al Kaabi recounted one of the most prominent misinformation cases in UAE, a fabricated story that claimed five members of the same family had died from Covid-19. The false report was broadcast and spread widely, causing public alarm. Investigations revealed the story was entirely invented, the family did not even exist.
Two individuals, including a television correspondent, were detained and subsequently jailed for their role in spreading the false report. Al Kaabi used this case to illustrate the responsibility that both media institutions and individual users carry when sharing unverified information, recalling how he had personally been working at the time on reports documenting the real social conditions of Covid-19 victims at the request of the rulers verifying debts, family situations, and support needs to underscore the contrast between responsible journalism and deliberate fabrication.
“The rulers were upset when they first know, how did you not tell us about this family?” Al Kaabi recalled, highlighting the human and institutional impact of misinformation.
7. The Iranian cell: False information
When news broke of the arrest of an Iran-linked cell operating in the UAE, the names of those detained were made public. Among them were Emirati individuals. Members of the public began searching for these individuals online, tracing their backgrounds, places of work, and social connections.
One name in particular was linked to a specific company in the UAE but this was incorrect information, the company filed an official complaint with the authorities. The individuals involved who had been circulating unverified information about the suspects were summoned and are now in prison for spreading false information.
Al Kaabi used this case as a powerful reminder that sharing unconfirmed details about an ongoing security case, can itself constitute a criminal offence under UAE law.
TikTok crackdown: 10,000 accounts deleted
On the scale of the digital enforcement effort, Al Kaabi revealed that the authority had removed 10,000 accounts on TikTok alone that were publishing AI-generated videos and other content designed to harm the UAE’s reputation, spread false narratives about Dubai and other emirates, and promote ideologies that could negatively influence society and children.
Gaming and age classification
Addressing the gaming sector, Al Kaabi noted that while titles such as Grand Theft Auto had previously been blocked in the UAE, the focus going forward would shift from outright bans to age classification enforcement.
He acknowledged that the gaming industry generates significant revenue and that sales of such titles in retail stores would soon be permitted but with strict age-rating controls. Importantly, proceeds from the sale of age-restricted games would be channelled to the UAE Child Council to fund programmes educating children and parents about responsible gaming.
A clear message
Across all these examples, Dr. Jamal Al Kaabi’s message was consistent: The UAE’s media laws apply to everyone and cover every platform, from broadcast television to a private family chat group. Ignorance of the law is not a defence, and the consequences of violations range from formal warnings and content removal to detention and imprisonment.
“We are not here to restrict freedom,” Al Kaabi said. “We are here to protect the community, preserve our values and ensure that the media space in all its forms serves the nation rather than harms it.”
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