Home / United Arab Emirates / Privacy offences / unlawful disclosure of secrets
Privacy offences / unlawful disclosure of secretsPossibly — unconfirmed
Possibly — unconfirmed
Reported range, not yet confirmed against official text. Do not rely on this — awaiting confirmation.
Statutory range — reported, not yet confirmed
Art. 431 — interfering with another's privacy / family life: eavesdropping, recording or transmitting private / telephone conversations; taking or transmitting a person's picture in a private place; publishing private/family-life news, pictures or commentsPossibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- Imprisonment (term not specified in article)
- Fine
- Fine (amount not specified in article)
Devices confiscated; recordings ordered erased (secondary source). Public-servant perpetrator is aggravating.
Art. 432 — person entrusted with a secret by virtue of profession, trade, position or art discloses it (other than as allowed by law) or uses it for his own / another's benefitPossibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- Imprisonment of not less than 1 year
- Fine
- Fine of not less than AED 20,000 and/or
Public servant / person in public service entrusted in duty: up to 5 years (secondary source).
Art. 433 — opening a letter or telegram without the addressee's consent, or eavesdropping on a telephone conversationPossibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- —
- Fine
- Fine of not less than AED 3,000
Official text.
Art. 433 — disclosing the letter / telegram / telephone conversation to a person other than the addressee without permission, where disclosure would cause harm to third partiesPossibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- Incarceration: not less than 3 months
- Fine
- Fine of not less than AED 5,000
Official text. Incarceration OR fine.
Art. 434 — unrightfully copying, distributing to or providing another person with the content of a phone call, letter, information or data accessed by virtue of professionPossibly — unconfirmed
- Imprisonment
- Incarceration (term not specified in article)
- Fine
- —
Official text.
Note on this entry
Art. 433 was read from official text; Arts. 431, 432, 434 rest on secondary sources.
Source
Not legal advice. This range is the statutory penalty as written in the law — it is
not “your sentence.” What is NOT accounted for here: Priors, plea, discretion. If you face a real
charge, consult a licensed lawyer in the relevant jurisdiction.