A man in Abu Dhabi has been ordered to pay Dh25,000 in compensation after secretly photographing another man in a public place and posting the images on Snapchat, violating his privacy.
The Abu Dhabi Family, Civil and Administrative Cases Court ruled that the defendant’s actions caused both material and moral harm to the claimant.
The claimant had filed a civil lawsuit seeking Dh50,000 in damages, arguing that the unauthorized filming and publication infringed on his privacy and caused embarrassment, suspicion, and reputational harm among colleagues, relatives, and peers.
He also requested that the defendant be responsible for court fees and legal costs.
According to the lawsuit, the defendant filmed the claimant while he was conducting financial transactions in a public setting, without his consent, and later shared the footage on Snapchat. Criminal proceedings were initiated, leading to the defendant’s conviction.
In the criminal case, the defendant was found guilty, fined Dh20,000, ordered to delete his Snapchat account, and barred from using information networks for six months, a judgment that became final and unappealable.
The civil court noted that the criminal conviction firmly established the defendant’s fault and that his actions caused harm to the claimant. The court awarded an additional Dh5,000 in compensation, bringing the total amount to Dh25,000.
