UAE court orders global search engine to remove offensive video

Dubai: The UAE judiciary has strengthened protections for privacy and human dignity in the digital age, ruling that global technology platforms must follow local court decisions - even if their operations extend beyond national borders.

In a landmark case, a UAE court ordered a major international search engine company to remove an offensive video targeting a woman living in the country. The decision sets an important legal precedent on the responsibility of local subsidiaries of global digital platforms.

The case started after a video containing offensive material about the woman was posted on an international online platform.

Authorities acted quickly once a formal complaint was filed. They identified the person responsible and took legal action against them. However, although the offender was prosecuted, the video remained available online, and the damage continued.

The woman later contacted one of the world’s leading search engine companies and requested the removal of the content. She received no response. As a result, she filed a lawsuit. The court formally notified the company in its role as the entity managing the platform’s activities within the UAE.

During the hearings, the company argued that it was not directly responsible, saying it did not own the platform itself.

After proceedings at two levels of litigation, the court ruled that the UAE-based entity affiliated with the parent technology company is legally responsible for complying with judicial decisions issued in the country.

The court ordered the removal of the video. The ruling was later upheld on appeal.

Following the final judgment, the company removed the offensive material.

Digital law researcher Dr Ammar Al Asbahi said the judgment reflects the UAE judiciary’s growing role in protecting human dignity in the digital space.

Speaking on the “Ghafah Podcast”, he said that while prosecuting the individual addressed part of the harm, the continued circulation of the video represented an ongoing violation that required court intervention.

He stressed that the court did not treat the issue as a technical matter, but as one affecting human dignity. He added that when a company has a registered legal entity in the UAE, it must implement court rulings - even if its servers or management are based overseas.

Dr Al Asbahi also highlighted the increasing importance of the “right to digital forgetting” - a legal concept emerging from the intersection of technology and law.

The principle allows individuals to request the removal of outdated, irrelevant or privacy-violating information from online search results.

He noted that the digital world now holds an estimated 100 million zettabytes of data, creating what is effectively a near-permanent memory. Unlike human memory, which fades over time, online content can remain accessible indefinitely.

“People change and their views evolve,” he said. “But content shared years ago can remain permanently linked to their names through search engines.”

Balancing the right to be forgotten with freedom of expression depends on several factors, including how much time has passed and whether the person concerned is a public figure or a private individual.

Under Article 15 of the UAE Personal Data Protection Law, individuals have the right to request the correction or deletion of personal data.

Requests may be approved if the purpose for processing the data no longer exists, consent has been withdrawn, or the processing violates the law.

The legislation also sets out exceptions. These include matters related to public health, ongoing investigations, legal claims or cases governed by other applicable laws.

Dr Al Asbahi said search engines now act as the first gatekeepers in digital forgetting requests, assessing applications against legal standards.

If a request is rejected, courts remain the final authority, responsible for striking a balance between privacy rights and freedom of expression.