A man has been ordered to pay a total of Dh40,000 after the Al Ain Civil, Commercial and Administrative Court found him liable for secretly photographing another man and his family in a coffee shop and posting the images on social media. The civil court awarded Dh30,000 in compensation, in addition to the Dh10,000 fine previously issued by a criminal court for the same incident. Court documents showed that the plaintiff filed a civil claim seeking Dh50,000, arguing that the defendant violated his family’s privacy by taking photos of them in a public café without permission and sharing the pictures online. The criminal court had earlier convicted the defendant of using a smartphone to invade the privacy of others, imposing a Dh10,000 fine. In the civil case, the defendant asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit, but the court ruled that the criminal conviction was final and served as the basis for civil liability. The judgment stated that photographing the family without consent and publishing the images amounted to a clear violation of privacy protected under the law. The court ruled that the family suffered psychological distress, embarrassment, anxiety, and reputational harm among relatives and friends, and awarded Dh30,000 in damages plus court fees, while rejecting other claims.
