The United Arab Emirates prohibits its employees to upload photos of them and their family members. Arabs are very strict when it comes to their privacy. A 29-year old maid learned about it the hard way when she got a six months sentence after she uploaded their photos. She also got deported because she uploaded the whole family’s photos on Facebook. Reports said that the maid posted the photos of her employer’s family without their permission. There’s also speculation that she stole the clothes of the wife but she denied this. She said she only borrowed it when the wife was away for a trip overseas.
The law in the UAE didn’t say that uploading photos on Social Media aren’t allowed. What is not allowed though is posting photos of other people without their consent. The fine for this violation can range from Dh150,000 or Php2,170,918.00 to Dh500,000 or Php7,236,394.00. The violator will also go to jail for at least 6 months. The fine and the time depends on how severe the case is. UAE won’t consider if it’s an innocent photo taking. It is a violation to them when it is a photo of another person. It’s a breach of privacy. This law applies to public areas as well, like parks and malls.
Taking photos of other people is downright disrespectful. It’s a good thing that the UAE is implementing rules like this so that people know their boundaries. Let’s all hope that the woman learned her lesson and she won’t do it again especially in a foreign country where worse things can happen. How about you? Do you think that the law of UAE about taking photos of other people is too much or not?