Reports on five overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) that were arrested in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to a TikTok video they posted have circulated online and this has served as a lesson and a reminder to UAE residents to be cautious of what they post on social media.
The said TikTok video shows five OFWs joking about being “showgirls” and the amount or fee for each person. The video that was supposed to be a joke among friends has led them to be put behind bars in the emirate.
In an interview with The Filipino Times, Atty. Imran Khan, UAE-based lawyer and founder of I K Lawyers, shares with us what we should not post on social media:
- We should not post information, content, or list items in an inappropriate category or areas on our platform.
2. We should not post any content which insults the UAE state, or any content against the UAE laws or Islam such as any partial or full nudity (including simply “beach scene” photographs), fire-arms, drugs, or alcohol.
3. We should not post information that is false, fraudulent, inaccurate, misleading, libelous, defamatory, slanderous, unlawfully threatening, or would be reasonably considered to constitute harassment.
4. We should not post comments, questions, or answers that are not factual in nature. We should not make any racist comments, use profanity, abuse another user, disrespect another’s culture, or make any other derogatory or inappropriate comments.
5. We should not post counterfeit or stolen items.
6. We should not post information or items which infringe any third party’s intellectual property rights, other proprietary rights, or right to privacy.
7. We should not post obscene information or content, including but not limited to pornography or any representation which may (in our sole discretion) be considered indecent.
8. We should not post information or content which may (in our sole discretion) constitute offensive or critical political content or content that is contrary to the public interest.
9. We should not post any information or content, or list items which may (in our sole discretion) be considered culturally or religiously offensive in any way.
10. We should not post any information or content, or list items which (in our sole discretion) may not be considered to be in compliance with general Islamic Shari’ah law, rules, morals, values, ethics, and traditions.
11. We should not post information or content that threatens national security.
12. We should not post information or content, or list services which may (in our sole discretion) constitute or be considered to promote gambling, terrorism, racism, or any kind of criminal or illegal act.
Violating these rules is punishable under the Cyber Crime Law of the UAE, which can result in imprisonment, deportation, or fine.
OFWs and all the residents in the UAE should be aware of these rules and adhere to them, as the country’s culture is different that is why everyone should be very respectful of it.
