Guests who film and post clips from weddings without the consent of attendees could face tighter rules in the future, the UAE’s National Media Authority said, as it launched a nationwide campaign to educate residents about media content standards, online privacy and harmful viral trends.
Speaking during a media briefing in Abu Dhabi, Jamal Al Kaabi, secretary-general of the National Media Authority, said the regulator is studying new policies governing photography and filming at weddings and other private family gatherings, amid growing concerns over guests sharing videos of attendees online without their permission.
“We are now working on new policies as well regarding weddings, and how to deal with what happens there in terms of filming,” Al Kaabi told journalists, stressing that privacy violations remain among the most common forms of harmful online behaviour.
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While many residents view filming at weddings as harmless, posting footage of guests, families or number plates without consent could amount to a breach of privacy under existing UAE laws.
Six-week campaign
The announcement came as the authority launched a six-week awareness campaign across all seven emirates to familiarise residents, students, media professionals and content creators with the country’s media content standards, which cover everything from privacy, misinformation and child protection to respect for religion, national identity and public morals.
Al Kaabi said the campaign would include visits to community councils, universities and media colleges, before expanding to schools and youth programmes in later phases.
“Today, every person has a mobile broadcasting channel in their hand,” he said. “WhatsApp is media. X is media. Instagram is media. Any platform where information is exchanged is media.”
Examples of content under legal scrutiny
During the briefing, Al Kaabi cited several examples of content that may trigger legal scrutiny under existing regulations, including staged viral videos in which workers are offered money to recite the Shahada for online engagement, livestreaming or sharing footage of military interceptions or emergency incidents, and publishing misleading or AI-generated videos designed to cause public panic.
He also clarified a point that has generated confusion since the new standards were announced: non-Emiratis wearing traditional Emirati attire is not prohibited in personal or social settings; it becomes problematic when used in promotional or commercial media content to impersonate Emiratis.
“We are talking specifically about advertisements,” he said, referring to campaigns in which non-citizens wear the kandura or ghutra and speak in exaggerated or broken Emirati accents to market products or services.
The secretary-general also reiterated that using the UAE dirham, state symbols or other elements of national identity in content that could be perceived as mocking, trivialising or misrepresenting them may expose creators to legal action.
Al Kaabi said the authority’s goal was not to punish residents, but to build what he described as “a responsible media partnership” with society.
“We begin with awareness, then warnings, then undertakings,” he said. “But repeated violations can lead to fines and legal procedures.”
Under the UAE’s media law, violations can carry penalties ranging from Dh1,000 to Dh1 million, depending on the nature and severity of the offence.
Source: Khaleej Times