Beware of hurling insults online, warn Dubai Police

Refrain from defaming people on social media as such acts are punishable by law, Dubai Police have warned.

The Dubai Police issued the warning with a focus on students who take to social media to criticise their teachers and classmates, using sarcastic phrases, which amount to personal insult.

Major-General Khalil Ibrahim Al Mansouri, Assistant Commander-in-Chief for the Criminal Investigation at Dubai Police, said that mostly children under 18 resort to such online revenge acts and normally they summon guardians and take written pledges from children not to repeat the act. Also, parents can make their children remove offensive images or abusive words, in order to preserve the future of their children, he added.

Al Mansouri said that there are differences between personal and official social media accounts and urged to avoid sharing too much personal data, as it may lead to theft or other criminal activities.

Lt-Colonel Saeed Al Hajri, Director of General Department of Cyber Crime at Dubai Police, urged that people to separate their personal and official social media accounts and not to disclose information about family members.