The Dubai Court of Appeals has upheld a ruling against an Arab man convicted of defaming a nurse in a Google review, ordering him to pay a Dh5,000 fine (suspended for three years), have his phone confiscated, and remove the offensive comments.
In a Gulf News report, the case began when a nurse at a medical fitness centre in Karama filed a complaint, saying she was insulted and slandered while performing routine duties.
According to her, the man accused her of being incompetent and even suggested she was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at work. A colleague later found the same defamatory accusations posted on Google Reviews.
The Dubai Police cybercrime unit traced the post back to the defendant, who admitted to writing it after claiming the nurse caused bleeding while drawing blood during his residency renewal test.
The ruling highlights the UAE judiciary’s firm stance: online defamation is treated as seriously as face-to-face slander, with penalties extending beyond fines to include content removal and digital confiscations.
