Amid the Iran-US-Israel conflict and rising regional tensions, the UAE has warned residents against spreading rumors and misinformation on social media platforms.Authorities said they have detected an increase in the spread of false news, fabricated videos and misleading images related to the ongoing military confrontation and other developments in the region.
Officials issue warning
UAE Attorney General Hamid Saif Al Shamsi warned against photographing, publishing or disseminating images and videos of crash sites or damage caused by falling projectiles or debris.Shared online in an attempt to increase anxiety and confusion within society, these affect stability in the country and create doubt over the current situation. According to security sources and experts, many of these campaigns repurpose old footage of accidents and fires that occurred years ago in the Gulf countries, and present them as recent events in the UAE. Additionally, manipulated videos created using artificial intelligence and deepfake technologies are being circulated with the aim of shaping public opinion and propagating hostile agendas.Al Shamsi assured that state institutions related to public security are performing their duties with high efficiency to protect society and that daily life continues normally across the country, with the necessary measures taken to address any developments. He also underlined that such incidents are handled by the competent authorities with precise security and defense procedures and sharing of videos or images online may weaken the response efforts made by the authorities. Thus, sharing such fabricated content or spreading misleading information is a punishable offense by law. Al Shamsi stressed that the public prosecution will take strict legal action against violators.
severe legal penalties
According to legal experts, spreading rumors or unverified information in the UAE is a criminal offense under the country’s UAE cybercrime and rumor law. Article 52 of the law prescribes a minimum prison sentence of one year and a fine of AED 100,000 for anyone who uses the Internet to publish or republish false news, misleading reports or malicious rumors that contradict officially declared information. The same article increases the penalty to a minimum of two years in prison and a fine of Dh200,000 if the dissemination of such information incites public opinion, causes panic, harms public security or the national economy.
Verification is a civic responsibility
“Relying on official sources and professional media institutions is the safest way to understand events in times of crisis,” social media activist Ibrahim Al Thehli told Gulf News.He said publishing information online is both an individual and societal responsibility and misinformation can raise public concern as well as mislead others. He said the rapid spread of news does not mean it is reliable and that verifying the date, context and original source of images and videos can help people avoid manipulation.