Qatar's Cabinet approved a recent amendment to Law No. 11 of 2014 that would punish people who took or shared pictures of accident victims online without their representatives' consent, Qatar News Agency reported Wednesday. The approval comes on the heels of the recent cybercrime law the Gulf country also passed last year.
State media has been unclear about what penalties would be enforced on convicted individuals and it is not known when the proposed legislation will come into effect as the emir has yet to sign it.
“It is harmful to the families and friends of those who die or are injured in accidents to have pictures of their loved ones displayed in public without their consent,” Najeeb Al Nuaimi, former justice minister, told Doha News . “It’s their right to protect the social life and image of their loved ones.”
Nuaimi said that this amendment went hand-in-hand with the country's recent efforts to combat invasion of privacy in the era of smartphones and social media.
But unlike more cut-throat applications of cybercrime and privacy laws in other neighboring countries, Qatar has aimed to cooperate with its residents in apprehending road violations.
Previously, an Australian woman was deported from the UAE after posting a picture on Facebook of a parked car blocking two handicapped spaces.
Instead, Qatar has asked residents to use designated phone apps linked to the Interior Ministry to document road infractions.
