UAE court fines ex-employee Dh50,000 for leaking confidential company data

Abu Dhabi: A civil court in Abu Dhabi has ordered a former employee to pay Dh50,000 to her previous employer after she was found to have leaked confidential company information via her work email, according to court records.

The ruling was issued by the Abu Dhabi Family, Civil and Administrative Claims Court, following a lawsuit filed by the company. The firm alleged that the employee had sent internal data and documents without authorisation.

Court documents revealed that the woman had signed a non-disclosure agreement at the time of her hiring and had been provided with a company email address. After resigning from her position and receiving her full dues, the company conducted an internal investigation, which traced a series of unauthorised data leaks to her email account.

A forensic technology report confirmed that sensitive information had been sent from her account. The company filed a criminal complaint, leading the Abu Dhabi Criminal Court to convict her of leaking confidential information and impose a Dh30,000 fine. This decision was later upheld by the Court of Appeal.

In the subsequent civil case, the company sought Dh51,000 in damages, citing material, moral and reputational harm. The court awarded Dh50,000 in compensation.