The UAE legislative authority has issued a new law to amend the laws and regulations on combating cybercrimes.
The new federal decree law number 5 of the year 2024, which came into force on the 5th of April 2024, has amended article number 21 of the federal decree law number 34 of the year 2021.
The first section of this article governs the penalty for creating, running, and overseeing any website or data through the internet or any form of technology for a terrorist group or an illicit group, association, organization, or entity with the intent to facilitate communication with its leadership or members, to attract new members, to promote or advocate its ideas, to finance its activities or to provide it with actual assistance, or with the intent to spread methods of manufacturing incendiary devices, weapons, ammunition, explosives, hazardous substances, or any other tools used in terrorist acts.
The penalty for such acts was imprisonment for no less than 10 years and no more than 25 years, in addition to a fine of no less than AED 2,000,000 and no more than AED 4,000,000 under the previous law.
The new federal decree law number 5 of the year 2024 increased the punishment so it becomes a life sentence in addition to a fine of no less than AED 2,000,000 and no more than AED 4,000,000.
This aligns with the UAE's aim and vision to maintain a safe and prosperous society both within the country and online.
The second section of the article governs the punishment for whoever downloads the content of any of the websites referred to in the first section of this Article or re-broadcasts or publishes them by any means whatsoever, repeatedly accesses them for viewing, or publishes any content that includes incitement to hatred.
The third section also states the following: In cases other than recidivism, the court may, instead of imposing the penalty referred to in Paragraph (2) of this Article, order the placement of the accused in a Munasaha centre or under electronic monitoring and prevent him from using any means of Information Technology during the period decided by the court, provided that said period does not exceed the maximum penalty prescribed.
The second and third sections of the articles remained the same in both the original law No. 34/2021 and the amendment via law No. 5/2024.
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