UAE Attorney General Hamad Al Shamsi has ordered the arrest of 10 defendants of various nationalities for publishing video clips on social media that contained misleading and fabricated content, state news agency Wam reported on Saturday.
Wam said defendants published videos featuring real footage of air defence systems intercepting attacks. Other clips depicted projectiles on the ground or crowds observing events. Additionally, they circulated fabricated footage created using artificial intelligence to falsely suggest explosions, strikes on prominent landmarks, or large fires with rising smoke across various areas of the UAE.
The incidents also involved exploiting children’s emotions in videos falsely implying security threats. Other footage claimed the destruction of military facilities within the country or attributed foreign incidents to UAE locations, aiming to mislead public opinion and spread anxiety.
The Attorney General said such acts are punishable by imprisonment for a period of no less than one year and a fine of no less than Dh100,000 due to the deliberate dissemination of misinformation, threats to public security, the spread of fear among individuals and the undermining of social stability.
The Attorney General said that the Public Prosecution will not tolerate any attempt to exploit cyberspace or modern technologies to spread misleading information or fabricated content that affects the security of the state or disturbs public order, including the circulation of clips showing the interception of attacks by the country’s defence systems and the consequences that may result from publishing them.
He said that anyone proven to be involved in such acts will face immediate criminal accountability, noting that the competent authorities will continue to monitor such practices and take firm legal action against those responsible.
The Public Prosecution has started interrogating the defendants and ordered their remand in custody.
Wam said the move, meanwhile, comes during ongoing monitoring of digital platforms amid regional developments and said such events have been exploited to disseminate misinformation intended to deliberately mislead the public while undermining national security, order and stability.
Publishing such clips, whether real or fabricated, could affect public security and create confusion, in addition to providing hostile media with material that could be used to distort facts, undermine confidence in the authorities and potentially reveal aspects of the country’s defensive capabilities.
Earlier on Saturday, Abu Dhabi Police said it had arrested 45 people for filming incident locations and posting footage to social media. It said they also circulated inaccurate and misleading information that could stir public concern and spread rumours.
