Emirates: In a world where sharing online has become more of a daily habit, the UAE continues to treat privacy as a sacred value protected by some of the region’s toughest laws.

Breaching a woman’s online privacy earlier this month has led a court in Abu Dhabi, to order a man to pay her Dh20,000 in compensation.

The court has found the defendant guilty of publishing photos and videos of the plaintiff on social media without her consent.

The ruling by the Abu Dhabi Family, Civil and Administrative Claims Court was issued on October 16, 2025, after reviewing the criminal and civil aspects of the case.

According to court documents, the woman filed the lawsuit after the defendant posted images and video clips of her on a social media platform, causing her emotional distress and damaging her reputation.

A criminal complaint was previously filed against the man, who was convicted by the Abu Dhabi Criminal Court of breaching the woman’s online privacy. The conviction was upheld by the Court of Appeal in March and became final after no further appeal was filed.

The civil court said that the violation of privacy amounted to a wrongful act that caused both moral and psychological harm to the woman. However, it said the compensation must be proportionate to the extent of the damage suffered.

In its reasoning, the court said that while the plaintiff had sought Dh50,000 in damages for harm to her honour and reputation, the evidence did not show significant financial loss or long-term social repercussions.

Therefore, it found that Dh20,000 was sufficient to compensate for the emotional pain, distress, and reputational damage resulting from the violation.

In its decision, the court relied on Article 282 of the Federal Civil Transactions Law, which states as follows: “Any harm done to another obliges the person who caused it — even if not legally competent — to provide compensation for the damage.” This means that any person who causes harm to another, whether intentionally or unintentionally, is obligated to compensate the other party.

Think before sharing

The ruling underscores the UAE’s strict stance on protecting personal privacy and highlights that publishing photos or videos of others without consent can lead to both criminal punishment and financial liability.

In the UAE, sharing personal data, images, voice notes, private messages, or screenshots without consent may result in criminal charges. Even if the other party isn’t directly named, if their identity can be inferred from context or known associations, a violation may have occurred.

“Social media, WhatsApp, email or even blogs, all of these fall under electronic means. Once something is shared, it becomes a cybercrime. Penalties can go up to Dh500,000, jail time, and in some cases, deportation for non-citizens,” one legal expert told Khaleej Times.