The UAE has announced it intends to enforce legislation combating the “spreading of rumours” by social media, punishable by up to three years in prison.
Despite the authorities’ assurance that “there are clear definitions in the law to explain the exact meanings of spreading rumours, spreading lies, or spreading defamatory remarks”, in the words of the UAE’s Telecommunications Regulation Authority (TRA) General Manager Mohammad Al Ganem, the announcement has left a number of users puzzled about the extent and limitations of this law, especially its focus on instant messaging, including BlackBerry Messenger and SMS.
The implication can be far-reaching, as the “rumours'” include those “that could cause confusion among the public and lead to destabilisation of the country’s security” all the way to “spreading rumours about merchandise, cancer-causing agents, or mentioning outlets carrying the merchandise.”
The UAE has had a difficult relationship with the internet and social media. Its list of censored websites, though more limited than many other Gulf countries, included until a few months ago photo sharing website Flickr. Skype is also blocked.
More worryingly, however, in April of this year four bloggers were arrested for calling for reforms in the federal nation, and were charged with using a website called UAE Hewar to “conspire against the safety and security of the state in association with foreign powers”.
Seen in that context, the recent announcement regarding “rumours” can be seen as a thinly-veiled warning for activists whose criticism of the government can be viewed as “defamatory remarks” — a category of speech also punishable by the legislation, which is not a new law but an extension and a new application of the existing penal code.
The announcement has also led to a discussion in neighbouring Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, which generally enforce a level of internet censorship. In Qatar for instance, a newspaper observed the online debate and concluded that “most commentators, though strongly opposed to rumour-mongering, said they favoured free expression through the internet”.
