Forwarding an unverified message in a family group chat can carry legal consequences under the UAE cybercrime law, even when the person who forwarded it did not write the content and had no intent to deceive.
The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) issued a reminder to residents to check messages carefully before sharing them, pointing to fake website links, spelling mistakes, and unusual layouts as common signs of misleading or fabricated content.
The authority also advised residents to check whether information has been reported by trusted news organisations or published by an official source before passing it on. Where someone has already shared misinformation without realising it, the TDRA said a polite correction can help stop false information from spreading further.
What the UAE cybercrime law says about forwarding messages
Federal Decree-Law No. (34) of 2021, which governs online conduct and took effect on 2 January 2022, treats forwarding a message as a new act of publication. The law was further amended in 2024.
Sam Moore, a lawyer at BSA Law, said the scale of the risk is not widely understood. ‘What many people often do not realise is that private chats and WhatsApp groups are not exempt from the laws of the UAE, and sharing content may lead to legal consequences,’ Moore said. ‘Residents should therefore exercise caution and refrain from posting or forwarding content that may be misleading, offensive, or intrusive.’
Moore said forwarding unverified news is one of the most frequent mistakes residents make. Under the cybercrime law, the act of forwarding can amount to re-publication regardless of who created the content originally.
‘A WhatsApp user who forwards a message, such as a news update, video, or comment, may be held liable if the content is false, misleading, defamatory, or otherwise unlawful,’ he said.
Intent is not a defence
Legal expert Dr Hassan Elhais said UAE courts have consistently treated forwarding content on WhatsApp, email, or social media as a new act of publication. Prosecutors can rely on chat logs, screenshots, and metadata as evidence.
‘Courts have repeatedly emphasised that the absence of malicious intent does not automatically negate liability. The focus is often on the effect of dissemination rather than the subjective intention behind it,’ Elhais said.
That distinction matters in practice. A resident who forwards a health claim, a rumour about road closures, or a politically sensitive post without verifying it first could face the same scrutiny as someone who deliberately spread the information.
What to check before you forward
The TDRA says residents should look for these warning signs before sharing any message:
Suspicious links: URLs that do not match the official domain of the organisation they claim to represent.
Spelling and layout errors: Legitimate government and news communications are professionally produced. Unusual fonts, inconsistent formatting, or poor grammar are common in fabricated content.
No official confirmation: If a claim cannot be found on a government portal or a recognised news outlet, it should not be forwarded.
The TDRA has built public awareness of misinformation into its broader communications framework. In 2024, the authority achieved ISO 22329:2021 certification from BSA, a standard that covers social media use during crises, including media crises that can arise from misinformation.
Residents who are unsure whether a message is genuine can check directly with the relevant authority or wait for an official statement before sharing further.
