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Beware: Dh500,000 fine for taking selfies without consent in UAE

You can face a jail term of six months and a hefty fine.

While you might think it is harmless to take your selfie at a wedding or private party, it can land you in trouble.  You can face jail term and a fine up to Dh500,000. 
What you won't account for is the stranger who is part of your selfie. These images when they end up on social media can be considered a violation of privacy, a crime punishable by law.
Lawyer Noura Saleh Al Hajri told Emarat Al Youm that the number of cases related to filming in private parties and weddings have increased over the past three years.  
Taking your selfie of with people unintentionally appearing in the background doesn't protect you from a violation of privacy charge, she emphasised.
Taking a selfie without people's consent falls under the cybercrime law. The law states that offenders can face six-month in jail and a fine of not less than Dh500,000 and not in excess of Dh1 million or either of these two penalties, to whoever establishes, administers or runs a website or publishes this personal information on a computer network.