New technology may have overtaken UAE media law

In 2009, it seemed likely that the UAE would replace its 1980 Press and Publications Law, the main piece of legislation regulating the media, with an all-new set of rules, but this has never happened.

ABU DHABI // In 2009, it seemed likely that the UAE would replace its 1980 Press and Publications Law.

Instead of journalists facing the threat of jail, the proposed new law said they could be fined or forced to pay compensation to anyone damaged by a publication.

It also stated that publications could be closed.

The proposed fines were between Dh500,000 and Dh5 million for acts such as insulting or criticising the country’s Rulers, and between Dh100,000 and Dh500,000 for stories that, for example, damaged the reputation of the UAE.

The proposals met with a mixed response.

Although the draft law stated that journalists would not be jailed for their work, one overseas observer expressed concern that they might still be imprisoned if they were unable to pay any fine handed down.

The planned law also gave the National Media Council the right to ask for large security deposits from media companies, the amounts of which were unspecified.

Despite the legislation being passed by the Federal National Council in early 2009, it has never become law.

A possible reason for this is that the new law had not moved forward far enough to be able to deal with technological changes such as social media and other online ways of transmitting information, said Dr Abeer Al Najjar, a UAE mass communication academic.

“What I believe is that there have been so many changes taking place since 2009, and there’s a feeling that the law that was developed previously, before 2009, is just not reflecting well enough the technological developments,” Dr Al Najjar said.

“There are more considerations that it was felt were needed for a full law to be introduced that would stay for some time.

“That’s my understanding. It’s not something I was informed about. It’s my own reading of what’s been happening since 2009.”

Dr Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a political science professor, said that subsequently “the exceptional regional circumstances” meant that press reform was not seen by the authorities as an ideal issue to focus on.

In 2013, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and chairman of the NMC, indicated that new media legislation was in the pipeline, although there are no indications yet as to when it could become law.