14 DAY TRIAL // If you’re in the United Arab Emirates, you’d better watch out what you post on social networks, especially on Facebook. Regulators in this country are warning people that posting content about other people on Facebook without their consent could be against the law.
According to the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), a Facebook White Paper has been published with a new set of guidelines to help social-media users stay within the boundaries of the law, but also the site’s privacy policies.
The new rules state that users should not tag other people without their consent and should even take care when posting pictures and videos of people who have not agreed to this explicitly.
“UAE law contains quite broad provisions relating to the protection of privacy and reputation, so care needs to be taken when posting information about others,” they state.
This will most likely create a lot of problems related to the right to freedom of speech, which is somewhat limited under current circumstances. While your average Facebook user won’t do much under these rules, such as let the police know that you tagged them in a status update about something they’re not entirely fond of, there are some who could definitely choose to complain or worse.
“These restrictions are no more than users should expect under the laws of the UAE, which prohibit the publication of content that is contrary to public morals, the principles of Islam and the social and moral welfare of the UAE,” the guidelines read.
There is also a warning against sharing private information online or sensitive content, such as passwords, financial information and more, but that’s Internet Common Sense 101.
“The laws of the UAE prohibit the publication of content which is contrary to public morals, the principles of Islam and the social and moral welfare of the UAE or any content that is offended for a nation or its government. In reference to ‘Facebook’ white paper the following information as a priority for all respective subscribers,” reads the announcement from the TRA.
According to the publication, 69 percent of Facebook users in the United Arab Emirates are male, while the rest of 31 percent are female.
The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority has mentioned that the new guidelines are actually based on Facebook’s own rules, namely the Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, the Data Use Policy and the Facebook Community Guidelines.