Abu Dhabi: The UAE Cyber Crime Law has been revised with strong penalties set out for a range of violations.
President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has issued Federal Law by Decree no 5 of 2012 combating cyber crimes, WAM reported.
The law protects materials published on the internet including information or details related to credit cards, bank accounts or any other payment instruments.
Under the law, anyone convicted of using IT or electronic means to forge credit cards or ID cards will be sentenced to a jail term.
The law also penalises with a jail term anyone convicted of stimulating a male or female to commit adultery or prostitution via the internet.
Anyone convicted of using the internet or any other high-tech means for threatening or black mailing another person, to incite him to carry out an act or not, shall be sentenced to a jail term.
The law covers almost all crimes in the Penal Code and other UAE laws if the crime is committed through the use of the internet or any other high-tech means and further toughens the penalties as stated in these laws, said Faiza Mousa, an Abu Dhabi-based lawyer.
The law states that anyone convicted of deliberately eavesdropping, or receiving or intervened information or messages sent via the internet by using any electronic or high-tech means, shall receive a prison term.
According to the law, anyone convicted of setting up, managing or overseeing a website or publishing information on the internet with the intent of human trafficking or dealing in human organs illegally will face a prison term.
The law also states that anyone convicted of setting up a website or publishing information with the aim of peddling narcotics shall be jailed.
People convicted of setting up a website or publishing information for a terrorist group with intent to facilitate contacts with their leadership, or to promote their ideologies and finance their activities, or to publish information on how to make explosives or any other substances to be used in terrorist attacks face jail as well.
Defamation cases
Prison terms shall be handed down to those who use the internet or any IT means to offend or damage the reputation or status of the country, its institutions, President, Vice-President, Rulers of the Emirates, Crown Princes, Deputy Rulers, the UAE’s flag, logo and national anthem.
Anyone convicted of inciting to publish or publishing information, news cartoons or any other form of materials that threaten national security or promoting ideas in breach of the general order and public decency face jail.
Anyone convicted of setting up, managing or overseeing a website with the intent of or calling to topple the regime or subverting the constitution or laws shall be jailed. The same penalty shall be handed out to those who promote, incite or instigate anyone to commit or facilitate these crimes.
Anyone convicted of using the internet or any IT means to plan, organise or promote calls for demonstrations without permit from the authorities shall be jailed.
Prison terms will be handed down to those who use the internet to deal in antiquities or illegally make use of or facilitate using communication, TV or radio services.
Anyone convicted of abusing holy shrines or religious rituals or insulting them or inciting others to do so shall also face jail. Those convicted of publishing any illegal content or failing to remove the same off the internet within the grace period given by authorities shall be jailed, fined or face both penalties.
With inputs from WAM
