UAE: Court asks man to pay Dh70,000 for social media comments

Posting defamatory comments on social media has come at a heavy price for a man in the UAE.

The Al Ain Court for Civil, Commercial, and Administrative Claims has ordered a young man to pay Dh70,000 in compensation to the owner of a commercial establishment for damaging the shop’s reputation and causing financial losses through defamatory comments posted on a social media platform.

The case was brought by a businessman who demanded Dh200,000 in compensation for both material and moral damages, in addition to court fees and legal expenses. In his complaint, the claimant stated that the defendant had tarnished the reputation of his business by publishing statements that harmed its standing and resulted in financial loss. These statements were posted as comments on a social media platform.

The defendant had already been convicted for this act under a criminal court judgment.

In response, the defendant submitted a written defence requesting the court to dismiss the case. Alternatively, he asked the court to contact the Federal Tax Authority to provide the company’s tax returns for the period during which the claimant alleged a decline in sales due to the defendant’s actions. The defendant also sought to recover legal costs and enclosed documents, including one of the dependent’s certificates and screenshots of online conversations.

In its judgment, the court noted that defendant had already been proven guilty in a previous judgment, finding him guilty of defamation. The court also ordered the defendant to pay the claimant Dh70,000 in compensation.