Get you up to speed: UAE warns influencers of severe consequences for posts damaging Dubai’s image
Scores of influencers started publishing posts praising the government of Dubai using similar language, raising accusations of a coordinated PR campaign. A 60-year-old British man was arrested in the UAE after allegedly filming Iranian missiles while on holiday.
David Haigh, a British lawyer who was once detained in Dubai, cautioned that “those who fail to obey the edict” regarding content that could harm Dubai’s image face dire consequences. According to reports, authorities in the UAE have warned that posts deemed harmful to ‘public order’ or ‘national unity’ could lead to fines exceeding £50,000 or even imprisonment.
Authorities in the United Arab Emirates have warned the online creator community that posts considered harmful to “public order” or “national unity” could lead to fines exceeding £50,000 or even imprisonment. Additionally, a 60-year-old British man was arrested for allegedly filming Iranian missiles while on holiday in the Gulf, and his case could see him face strict penalties under the UAE’s cybercrime laws.
Man detained in Dubai warns of ‘horrific fate’ for influencers posting about war | News World
Influencers whose posts about the Iran conflict spoil Dubai’s carefully cultivated image as a safe haven face ‘a fate that will be horrific beyond imagining’, a British lawyer once detained there has warned.
But social media users were quick to spot when those posts suddenly stopped, and a new trend appeared to emerge.
Scores of influencers all began publishing posts praising the government using suspiciously similar language.
They begin with words to the effect of ‘You live in Dubai, aren’t you scared?’ before cutting to slow-motion footage of the country’s leader Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the caption: ‘No, because I know who protects us.’
The cringe posts triggered accusations the social media stars were being paid to pump out propaganda as part of a concerted PR campaign.
But David Haigh, a British lawyer once detained in Dubai, fears there is a more sinister side to it.
Only this week a 60-year-old British man was arrested after allegedly filming Iranian missiles while on holiday in the Gulf.
It is unknown whether the footage was shared on social media and he could still be released without charge.
However, if prosecutors decide to pursue the case under the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) strict cybercrime laws he could face up to two years in jail for a hefty fine.
Writing in the Daily Mail, Mr Haigh said: ‘Absolutely no content can be posted that could damage the Dubai brand.
‘Those who fail to obey the edict are finding out just what it means to upset the Emiratis. At least one person has been arrested for filming a missile strike.
‘They now face a fate that will be horrific beyond imagining.’
A fireball erupts at the Fairmont The Palm hotel in Dubai following an Iranian drone strike (Picture: X)
A damaged building in the vicinity of Dubai Creek Harbour after a drone hit it (Picture: Reuters)
Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum delivers a speech during the Founders Memorial event in Abu Dhabi (Picture: AFP via Getty)
Mr Haigh, who claims he was sexually and physically abused during his detention there a decade ago, said ‘absolutely no content can be posted that could damage the Dubai brand’.
Even rescue workers have been jailed for posting photos of emergencies, he said, adding that ‘no one is exempt’ from the constraints.
Authorities have reportedly warned the United Arab Emirate’s (UAE) online creator community that posts deemed harmful to ‘public order’ or ‘national unity’ could result in fines exceeding £50,000 – or even jail.
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British content creator Ben Moss told the Mail: ‘I do feel completely safe here because of the UAE air defences, but the laws can sometimes concern me so I always keep everything positive.
‘I’m far more scared of being fined or jailed for posting the wrong content than I am of the Iranian missiles and drones.’
WTX has contacted the Government of Dubai Media Centre for comment.
The clampdown is not exclusive to the UAE.
And Kuwait’s government has banned the publication of anything related to the fighting, ABC News reports.
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