Given the pervasive nature of social media, and the substantial increase in the use of social networking sites by individuals and corporate entities in the UAE, we outline the legal landscape and some of the key issues that affect users of social media, whether in a personal or corporate capacity.

The increased popularity of social networking sites (or otherwise known as “social media”) in the UAE brings with it the potential to create great economic value. The Arab Media Outlook 2011-2015 (a report presenting an overview of the regional media industry) showed that social media has grown significantly across the Arab world, with over 90 per cent of all internet users in the UAE using social networking sites like Facebook. Additionally, the frequency of use has significantly increased in the past couple of years with over 65 per cent of these users visiting social networks more than once a day.