ABU DHABI: A recently introduced law in the UAE makes it a criminal offence to swear or use abusive language a text messages.
Anyone convicted of the offence could face a fine of up to $68,000 (AED250,000) and a prison sentence. Expats will also be deported from the UAE under the cybercrime law.
The new law came to light during a Federal Supreme Court hearing after prosecutors successfully secured the retrial of an Arab man who was fined $816 (AED3,000) after he was convicted of swearing at a colleague in a WhatsApp message.
According to a report in 7Days newspaper, prosecutors said, “The message from the defendant, which contained insulting words, was found in the victim’s mobile phone.”
Prosecutors argued the fine, issued by the court of first instance, was too lenient based on the recently introduced cybercrime laws.
The same laws apply if a resident sends an ‘emoji’ of the middle finger on a text message in the UAE, it was reported recently.
Although not available just yet, Microsoft has announced plans to include the middle finger gesture icon on its new Windows 10 operating system when it’s launched in late July/August. Experts in the UAE warned that using the offensive ‘emoji’ could lead to a criminal prosecution.
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