Abu Dhabi court orders Dh25,000 compensation for posting photo online without consent

An Abu Dhabi court has ruled in favour of a plaintiff in a privacy violation case, ordering the defendant to pay Dh25,000 in compensation for damages.

The judgment, issued on January 6 by the Abu Dhabi Family, Civil and Administrative Court, followed an earlier criminal conviction in which the defendant was found guilty of violating the plaintiff’s privacy by photographing him in a public place and posting the image on Snapchat without consent.

Court records show the plaintiff said the incident caused him emotional distress and reputational harm at his workplace and among relatives and peers. He sought Dh50,000 in compensation, in addition to court costs and legal fees. The ruling noted that the lawsuit was filed after attempts to resolve the matter amicably were unsuccessful.

The civil court reviewed documents submitted by the plaintiff, including a judgment issued by the Abu Dhabi Public Prosecution on February 7, 2025, which convicted the defendant of taking and publishing personal photographs without permission. That ruling awarded provisional compensation of Dh20,000 to the plaintiff and ordered the defendant to delete his Snapchat account. The defendant was also barred from using the internet for six months.

The criminal judgment was upheld by the Abu Dhabi Appeals Prosecution on August 27, 2025. A certificate dated November 4, 2025, confirmed that no further appeal had been filed.

In its assessment, the civil court concluded that the plaintiff had suffered moral harm and set total compensation at Dh25,000. This amount includes Dh5,000 for moral damages in addition to the Dh20,000 provisional compensation granted by the criminal court.

The court rejected the claim for financial damages, citing insufficient evidence that the defendant’s actions resulted in monetary loss. It also ordered the defendant to pay court costs, expenses and attorney’s fees, while dismissing all other claims.