A UAE court has fined a man Dh70,000 in compensation to a businessman due to allegedly defamatory social media posts that caused damage to his business. The businessman initially sought Dh200,000 stating the social media posts resulted in the loss of customers and tarnished his reputation professionally.
Based on court filings, the defendant had written a series of messages on a widely used platform, accusing the businessman of unethical conduct. The comments quickly went viral online, leading to an in-house investigation at the businessman’s company and triggering canceled contracts. The plaintiff claimed that the comments were falsified and motivated by personal enmity.
Based on the evidence, the court adjudicated in favor of the businessman, ruling that freedom of expression does not permit defamatory remarks that have real-life financial implications. The Dh70,000 compensation was considered proper for the level of reputational and business harm incurred.
This case represents the increasing role of social media in financial and legal issues throughout the UAE. Legal professionals are reminding expats that behavior online is subject to the nation’s tough cybercrime legislation, and defamation, even on the internet, can incur severe civil and criminal sanctions.
