Picture for illustrative purposes only. AL AIN POLICE

A court in Al Ain has ordered a man to pay Dh10,000 in compensation after he filmed a car involved in an accident and shared the footage without the driver’s consent. The ruling was issued by the Al Ain Civil, Commercial and Administrative Cases Court, which found that the defendant’s actions caused both psychological and reputational harm to the plaintiff. According to court records, the victim filed a lawsuit seeking Dh100,000 in damages, citing moral and material harm after a video of his accident was recorded and circulated online. The plaintiff said the footage was shared without his knowledge and included content that mocked him, which contributed to emotional distress. The defendant had already been convicted in a separate criminal case for filming and uploading images of individuals involved in the accident. The court said documents presented confirmed the defendant’s wrongdoing, including photographing and posting images related to the incident. It ruled that the actions caused harm to the plaintiff and that compensation was warranted, ultimately awarding Dh10,000.

Filming accidents is illegal in UAE

Authorities in the UAE have repeatedly warned that filming or photographing accident scenes is a serious offence under both traffic and cybercrime laws. Such actions are considered a violation of privacy and can also obstruct emergency services responding to incidents. Penalties vary depending on the severity of the violation. Taking photos or videos of accidents can result in fines starting from Dh1,000. Sharing or publishing such content online can lead to fines ranging from Dh150,000 to Dh500,000 and possible imprisonment under the Federal Cybercrime Law. Obstructing traffic or emergency vehicles while filming can result in fines of up to Dh3,000, vehicle impoundment, and black points Authorities said this behaviour, often referred to as “rubbernecking,” not only violates privacy laws but can also delay emergency response and put lives at risk. ICA/Expat Media
For all the latest news from the UAE and the world, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube page