A civil court in Al Ain has required a man to pay AED 30,000 in damages after determining that he violated the privacy of another customer and his family by photographing them inside a café and later uploading the images online, according to Gulf News.
The ruling followed an earlier criminal case in which the same man was fined AED 10,000 for using his mobile phone to invade the family’s privacy. That conviction, reported by Emarat Al Youm, became an essential reference point for the civil court, which considered it final and binding.
Court records show that the plaintiff initially sought AED 50,000 in compensation, arguing that the unauthorized photos caused distress and disrupted his family’s sense of safety. He said the images, taken covertly in a public coffee shop, were shared on social media without any form of permission.
Despite the defendant’s attempt to have the civil claim dismissed, judges noted that the criminal judgment had already established the unlawful act. The court said the behaviour — photographing individuals without consent and publishing the images — constituted a direct intrusion into a legally protected right to privacy.
The court found that the family endured emotional harm, including embarrassment, anxiety, and reputational impact among people who knew them. With liability and damage both established, the judge ordered AED 30,000 in compensation, along with applicable fees and expenses, and rejected the remaining requests.
