The emergence of social media platforms in the past decade has contributed to an unprecedented increase in the spread of rumors and dissemination of fake news throughout history. This phenomenon is not limited to the United Arab Emirates but is a global issue. It is not related to cultural diversity or economic conditions in countries but rather stems from a desire for attention, fame, riding the wave, and the pursuit of personal gain, even at the expense of spreading chaos or destabilizing stability. This category exists in every society, comprising individuals who violate the law or engage in criminal activities. To mitigate their activities in every society, law enforcement agencies are working diligently. It was necessary to classify the category of individuals seeking fame and attention through spreading rumors as law violators, given the destabilizing effects, both in terms of security and economy, resulting from such actions. This led the majority of countries worldwide in recent years to resort to enacting laws and legislations to criminalize such acts carried out through the use of social media platforms specifically or the internet in general. The United Arab Emirates has been at the forefront of establishing regulatory laws in this regard. The Cybercrime Law No. 5 of 2012 was enacted to combat electronic crimes and was in effect for ten years until it was replaced by Law No. 34 of 2021 on combating rumors and electronic crimes, which came into effect on January 2, 2022, to keep up with legislative developments and address newly emerged crimes.

Indeed, legislation alone is not sufficient, and there should be a role for the public in terms of awareness not to trust any informational or media source except for official and governmental entities in the country. In our view, social media platforms are only suitable for leisure or advertising services and products. They are not suitable to be an media platform or a platform where anyone can freely publish whatever they deem suitable or unsuitable. On the other hand, it is necessary to report any content that may provoke controversy in society to the relevant authorities. Although Article 24 of the Law on Combating Rumors and Electronic Crimes has increased the penalties for attempting to incite sedition through social media platforms, with fines ranging from 200,000 dirhams to a maximum of one million dirhams, what truly prevents any crime is awareness, which is more effective than punishments. The consciousness of nations cannot be influenced by the calamities or tribulations of time. Finally, we ask Allah, the Almighty, to protect the Arab nation and all Muslim countries.

By Lawyer 

Mohammed Gawish