DUBAI: Members of the public in Dubai have been warned against publishing or forwarding videos and images of illegal acts on social media to avoid legal accountability, the emirate's police force said.
The warning comes after a video showing a group of men engaged in an armed fight and damaging public property in a Dubai neighborhood went viral on social media.
Seven suspects linked to the incident were arrested and referred to public prosecution, as Dubai Police reminded the public that circulating videos of crime scenes or accidents online is punishable by law.
#News | Dubai Police arrests Group of People After a Video Shared Online
Details:https://t.co/BFxUpXgQZy#YourSecurityOurHappiness pic.twitter.com/pqja0XmopH
— Dubai Policeشرطة دبي (@DubaiPoliceHQ) July 21, 2022
Under the UAE’s cybercrime law, violators face at least one year imprisonment and a fine of up to $27,225.
Dubai Police urged the public to report public misbehavior through official channels instead, a statement on Twitter read.
“The law states that whoever uses information network to announce, disseminate, re-disseminate, circulate, or recirculate news or data, or broadcasts any provocative news that would incite or provoke public opinion, disturb the public peace, spread terror among people, or cause harm to the public interest, the national economy, the public order, or the public health shall be punished with at least one year of imprisonment and a fine of not less than Dh100,000,” the police statement read.
