A UAE resident has received a stark reminder of the importance of social media etiquette after being ordered to pay substantial damages for insulting another individual online.
The Abu Dhabi Family, Civil and Administrative Cases Court directed the man to pay Dh20,000 in compensation for using language deemed harmful to the complainant’s honour and reputation. According to Al Khaleej newspaper, the complainant had initially sought Dh100,000 in damages, along with court costs and legal fees, claiming the remarks caused reputational harm and financial loss.
The court noted that the defendant had already been convicted in a separate criminal case related to the same dispute, where he was fined Dh5,000 and ordered to pay an additional Dh5,000 as provisional compensation.
In its ruling, the civil court stated that the findings of the criminal trial were binding and established clear wrongdoing. Consequently, the defendant was held liable and ordered to pay Dh20,000 in civil damages.
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