Cyber Law Amendments

Cyber Law Amendments

The President of the UAE and the ruler of Abu Dhabi, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has issued a new decree for the amendment of Federal Decree Law Number 5 of 2012 concerning UAE cyber crimes. The newly introduced law, Emiri Decree Number 2 of 2018 primarily focuses on fighting terrorism and curbing illegal and unauthorized activities relating to cybercrime.  

The initiative taken by the Government of Abu Dhabi is to ensure security and to impose more severe penal implications for activities that violate the cyber law of the UAE. The new decree provides for amendment of three important provisions of the Federal Decree Law Number 5 of 2018.

Article 26, 28 and 42 are the provisions which have been amended under the new decree.

The new law provides for the following changes:

•  Under Article 26 of the new law, establishing, managing or running a website, or publishing any information on any computer network or any other means of information technology so as to facilitate and promote any activity relating to terrorism, or unauthorized group shall be punished with imprisonment for a term of 10 to 25 years and with a fine of 2 to 4 million AED.

Further, any person who establishes manages or runs a website or publishes any information on any computer network or other means of information technology with a view to promoting hate shall be punished with imprisonment of not more than five years and with a fine of 500,000 to 1 million AED.

• The Article 28 deals with acts that pose a threat to the national security or public order. Under the new law establishing, managing or running a website, or publishing any information or news or cartoon on any computer network or any other means of information technology that affects the national security or interest of the state or any member of the judicial system shall be punished with a temporary imprisonment and a fine of not less than 1 million AED.
•  The Article 42 of the new law provides for deporting any individual who commits the acts (crimes) as specified in Federal Decree Law Number 5 of 2012.