Abu Dhabi: Man ordered to pay Dh15,000 for sharing strangers' photos on TikTok, Snapchat

A man in Abu Dhabi was ordered to pay two people Dh15,000 for sharing pictures of them on social media without their consent. The Abu Dhabi Court of Appeals upheld a verdict earlier released by the Abu Dhabi Court for Family and Civil and Administrative Cases.

The man was found to have included pictures of the two strangers in a video he shared on TikTok and Snapchat.

Upon seeing their images, the duo sued the Netizen, demanding Dh51,000 as moral compensation for invasion of privacy.

The Abu Dhabi Court for Family and Civil and Administrative Cases ruled in favour of the complainants, though a lower payout was indicated. The appellate court upheld the ruling.

In the UAE, taking pictures of people without permission — whether in public or private — is a crime, and so is copying, saving, or sharing these photos on social media. The violation can earn the offender at least six months in jail and/or a fine between Dh150,000 to Dh500,000.

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