Dubai: The UAE Public Prosecution has warned people that the act of intercepting contents of telephone calls is punishable with jail time, a financial penalty or both.
In a post on the authority’s official social media channels, the Public Prosecution posted the details of Article No (72) bis 2 of the Federal Decree-Law No. 3 of 2003 concerning the regulation of Telecommunication Sector.
According to the article: “Shall be sentenced to detention and/or a fine, whoever intercepts the contents of telephone calls without prior permission by the competent judicial authorities.”
Articles 71 to 79 of the Federal Decree-Law No. 3 of 2003 concerning the regulation of Telecommunication Sector list out various fines and penalties that violators face if they misuse telecommunications channels or apparatus.
For example, Article 72 of the law states: “A person shall be penalised with imprisonment of not more than one year and a fine of not less than Dh50,000 and not more than Dh1 million or either of these penalties if that person:
1- uses Telecommunications Apparatus in an offensive or disruptive manner, or so as to be a nuisance towards others, or for any unlawful purpose;
2- copies or discloses, without a right to do so, the content of any communication, telephone message or any of the Telecommunications Services whether or not working under any Licensee or related to a Licensee by any relationship enabling that person to reveal the contents of any communication telephone message or any of the Telecommunications Services; or
3- violates the provisions of Article (50) of the Law.
The UAE Public Prosecution regularly raises awareness about the country’s laws to create a greater understanding of the UAE’s legal culture.
