Can a bad online review get you in trouble in the UAE?
What happened
Dubai Police have arrested a group of people for posting false negative comments on a company's Google Maps page. The police said several shops had formed groups to post the comments on purpose, to damage the company's reputation and cause it financial losses.
The case started when the company's management filed a complaint. The head of the Social Media Crimes Section at Dubai Police spoke about it on the Dubai Police podcast, in an episode called "A single word could become a case. Be careful."
What the law says
Dubai Police said there are limits to expressing opinions online, and comments must not be used to harm people or their interests. They also said that spreading and re-sharing rumours can lead to legal accountability, and that filming a person without permission can lead to a case if that person files a criminal complaint.
According to The National, Article 43 of the UAE Cybercrimes Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021) covers online insults and statements that expose others to public contempt. The National reports that penalties can include fines from AED 250,000 to AED 500,000, prison, or both. The affected person may also file a separate civil claim for compensation.
What this means for you
A negative review is not illegal. You can write that the service was slow or that a product did not meet your expectations. The problem starts when a review contains false statements, insults or accusations, or when it is written to hurt a business rather than to share a real experience.
Lawyers quoted by The National note that deleting a review later does not automatically remove the risk: screenshots and platform records can keep the original text.
What to do:
- Write only about your own real experience.
- Describe facts, not people. Criticise the product or service, not the staff.
- Avoid insults and accusations you cannot prove, such as "fraud" or "thieves".
- Never post a review for a business you have not used, and never join paid or group review campaigns.
- If a business treated you badly, you can also use your rights under the UAE consumer protection rules and file a formal complaint.
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