A video of a car violating rules, parking in a space reserved for people with disabilities, went viral in the UAE. The reason the video was shared over and over again on social media was because the number plate was special: D5. A Dubai-based businessman had bought it at a Roads and Transport Authority auction for Dh33 million. The video caught the attention of the police and the businessman was fined Dh1,000 and given four black points.
While the driver should not have encroached upon a parking slot reserved for people with disabilities, it was unfortunate that someone filmed the car and then posted the video on social media. This is a clear breach of privacy and is wrong. If the person who filmed the incident was upset with the violation, he or she should have given the video to police to take action against the errant driver.
The UAE takes great care to protect the privacy of every citizen and resident. The law must be respected. A person’s privacy must be respected. The laws make it clear that utmost care must be taken when posting material on social media. The Cyber Crimes Law makes it an offence to use any means of IT to breach someone’s privacy, including by taking pictures of others, or publishing or displaying those pictures. The UAE Penal Code makes it an offence to transmit someone’s photograph without his or her consent. The Copyright Law also states that a person who takes a picture of another cannot distribute or publish the picture without the consent of the person appearing in the picture.
The laws underline that any breach of privacy will not be tolerated. Society needs to understand that and obey the rules. Before posting material on social media, put yourself in the other person’s shoes and ask if you would like your privacy breached.
