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People in Bahrain have been warned to refrain from filming other individuals without consent, stressing that violators of privacy laws could face legal consequences.
Speaking on the Al Aman show on social media, Hidd Police Station head Colonel Dr Osama Bahar made it clear that people in the kingdom, whether a citizen or a resident, had the right to privacy, and infringing on those rights could result in years in prison as well as a hefty fine.
“There is an essential and necessary law that everybody should know – filming without permission is a crime,” he said.
“Filming someone, even during something like a traffic accident, is a crime.
“Even recording a conversation without permission is a crime.
“Writing a comment about personal secrets on any platform, including social media, is a crime.
“Publishing videos of a crime is an even bigger crime, especially if the matter involves the honour of the individual involved.”
Col Dr Bahar said people who are in violation can face legal action as defined under Article 370 of the Penal Code.
The article deals with violations of personal and family privacy. It addresses acts such as unauthorised filming, recording, or sharing of private information and imposes penalties for such actions.
Violations include filming or recording individuals in private settings, such as homes or changing rooms, without their consent; sharing intimate details of someone’s life, even if accurate, if it causes harm; secretly listening to private conversations; and sharing photos or videos of accident victims or any content that could cause public shame or humiliation.
Col Dr Bahar
“The article holds accountable, and punishes, anyone who violates people’s privacy,” said Col Dr Bahar.
“The penalty in some cases can reach up to five years in prison, as well as a fine of BD5,000.
“Just as you have the right to a private life that you do not want people to violate, so do others.
“So do not film, publish or even republish anything that could be seen as a violation of these rights.”
The GDN reported in June that the Interior Ministry had announced new guidelines prohibiting the publication of any images or videos of accidents or traffic flow on any media platform.
It said at the time that people should avoid publishing any visual or recorded content ‘that may affect public security”.
Banned are materials related to incidents or traffic activity on public roads, without an official permit issued by the General Directorate of Media and Security Culture.
It added that the images or videos should only be reported through official channels.
- For clarification or inquiries regarding publishing on social media platforms, people can contact the Police Media Directorate by calling directly or via WhatsApp at 17390900.
nader@gdnmedia.bh
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