Shura Council set to enforce strict laws to deter snooping on phone calls and private messages

TDT | Manama                                                      

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

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Snooping on phone calls or reading someone’s private messages could soon land you in serious trouble as the Shura Council looks to crack down on breaches of privacy.

The Foreign Affairs, Defence, and National Security Committee, led by Dr Ali bin Mohammed Al Rumaihi, has been considering two tough new bills.

These measures aim to increase the punishments for anyone found sharing private messages or listening in on calls without permission.

Proposal One of the bills pushes for changes to the Penal Code, first put in place under Decree Law No 15 of 1976, based on a proposal from the Shura Council itself. If passed, the new rules would bring stricter consequences for anyone crossing the line when it comes to personal privacy.

The first bill focuses on harsher penalties for people who provoke indecent behaviour in public through words, gestures or other actions.

It also suggests changes to Article 370, making it clear that sharing someone’s private or family secrets publicly, even if they’re true, could result in stiffer punishment if it causes harm.

The second bill, meanwhile, targets the misuse of social media and other ways of communicating.

It proposes tougher penalties for those who take, share or broadcast photos without consent, and for those who eavesdrop on phone calls or open letters not meant for them.

Punishment If such actions result in harm to someone, the punishment could be even more severe.

These new rules come as the current laws in Bahrain are seen as outdated, failing to address the growing issue of privacy breaches.

As such cases become more common, the current penalties no longer seem to fit the crime. These bills aim to bring the laws up to date and ensure that privacy is respected in an ever-changing world.