• Source:JND
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Interesting facts around the world: Married couples in the UAE can face heavy fines, imprisonment, and even deportation if they access each other's phones without permission, legal analysts have cautioned. According to the UAE's Federal Penal Code and Cybercrime Law, illegal access to a spouse's phone is a criminal offence punishable by three months' jail time and fines of at least 3,000 Dhirams, rising up to 500,000 Dhirams,(1.16 Crore rupees) for severe cases.

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Attorney Mohammad Al Owais explained in an interview with Gulf News that couples are not exempt under the law. "The privacy and liberty of both spouses are safeguarded by the law. Anyone who checks their spouse's phone without permission can be prosecuted under Article 380 of the Federal Penal Code," he added. He clarified that even the sharing or revelation of information from the spouse's phone can be an independent offence under privacy breach laws.

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In one case, an Arab woman was deported and fined 150,000 Dhiram (35 Lakhs rupees) after accessing her husband's phone as she suspected he was having an affair. The woman allegedly copied pictures from his phone to her phone without his permission. The husband complained to the police, and the court ruled that she was guilty of violating his privacy under the strict UAE Cybercrime Law. Lawyer Mohammad Abdullah Al Redha explained that Articles 14 and 21 of the Cybercrime Law explicitly criminalise illegal access to electronic devices. "Anyone who illegally enters another individual's smartphone may be put behind bars for up to three years and/or fined between Dh250,000 and Dh500,000. It also applies to couples," he explained to Gulf news.

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The advisory came amid a wave of viral messages in the UAE, cautioning wives against screening their husbands' phones without permission. Most women have sought legal counsel to affirm if the advisories were authentic. UAE laws instruct couples to respect one another's privacy in order to prevent criminal prosecution and heavy fines. They point out that illegally obtained evidence, including private messages or bank statements, would also be excluded in court.