The Philippine Consulate General in Dubai, United Arab Emirates warned Filipinos against posting and sharing unsubstantiated or groundless information on social media.
In a memorandum issued in early March, rumormongering is considered a criminal offense in the UAE and that is punishable by imprisonment and a hefty fine.
This is under Federal Legal Degree No. 5 for 2012 on combating cybercrimes. Spreading rumors “damaging social peace and public order” and causing damage to “national peace” will cause the UAE court to arraign the individual.
If proven guilty, the individual will face imprisonment and a civil fine of at least AED 1 million, or PHP 12.6 million.
The consulate also warned Filipino social media users in the UAE against posting pictures of others without their consent. This could lead to six months’ imprisonment and a fine of up to AED 500,000 or PHP 6.3 million.
UAE also prevents minors to have social media accounts to prevent blackmail and other threats.
