Not all of the social media posts that have led to arrests in the UAE involve outright lies. Authorities have outlined three distinct categories of prohibited online conduct — and one of them covers content that is entirely real.
The first category involves authentic footage. Residents who filmed or shared genuine videos of missile interceptions, their aftermath, or people gathering to watch events have been flagged for prosecution. Officials say such material — even when unedited — can expose defence capabilities, fuel anxiety, and provide hostile accounts with content to repurpose into misleading narratives.
The second category covers fabricated or AI-generated content. This includes synthetic depictions of explosions or missile strikes, old footage from other countries relabelled as occurring inside the UAE, and videos edited with flags, dates, or other markers to appear credible. Authorities say this type of content was designed to distort facts and mislead the public.
The third category involves posts that glorify what officials describe as a hostile state — praising its leadership, promoting its military operations, or amplifying propaganda aligned with its media narrative. Investigators say such content harms national interests and contributes to misleading public discourse during an active security situation.
Legal exposure under UAE law is not limited to those who create the content. The attorney-general has warned that sharing or reposting such material carries the same potential liability as originating it. Penalties for deliberately spreading misinformation that threatens public security include imprisonment of at least one year and fines of no less than Dh100,000. Dubai Police has separately cited fines of no less than Dh200,000 for publishing or circulating content that incites fear or contradicts official announcements.
Authorities have also cautioned that in the current environment, visually convincing content generated by artificial intelligence may be indistinguishable from real footage to the untrained eye, and have urged residents to rely on official sources before sharing anything online.
