06 Mar Page Rules and Social Media Laws in Qatar
Often the Admins are asked why we have removed a Post and often its because it violates the Social Media Laws in Qatar or our page rules. Our page rules are explicit that all posts/comments etc MUST comply with the law, and by joining the group your acknowledge this. We reserve the right to remove offending posts and possibly ban the member permanently.
For many of the Expats living in Qatar this may be their first experience of strict laws concerning the use of Social Media. To help and educate our members we have put together an article on what the laws are and what we believe they mean- please note that we are not lawyers so we would always recommend checking with an appropriate legal professional if you have any doubts.
In addition we do not generally allow Blog posts and shares from other sites (other than ones we deem to be trusted) as we don’t control the content- see provisions below, unless you check with us first.
The WWHiDoha Philosophy
Our philosophy is simply that we are a community helping each other in a family friendly way without being spammed with adverting and inappropriate content.
Facebook Page Rules:
Please note that we reserve the right to remove any post or comment that we feel that is against the page philosophy
1) This is NOT, REPEAT NOT a sales page!! Please don’t post items for sale on here – including sneaky ones disguised as an attempt at a question
2) We really don’t want ad’s on the page either. That includes job adverts…… We may make some exceptions but they will be on a case by case basis and we reserve the right to delete any ads which we feel are not suitable for the page. Send us Admins a Private Message if you want to ask us for permission to post something like this.
3) This also applies to blog and “Live Video” posts as we need to be sure of the content before highlighting them to the public. Sorry if this sounds crazy but we do it to protect you as much as ourselves. (See laws below)
4) Putting “PTP Admin” or “permission to post” drives us crazy! If you had to put that then you don’t have the permission!!! Again, we may delete the post if it is inappropriate or against the philosophy of the page.
5) Any member who makes inappropriate, rude or defamatory posts or comments, or any post deemed to be time-wasting posts or comments, may be removed from the page at our discretion. This includes posts that name companies in a negative manner.
6) This is NOT a debate page. We kindly and respectfully request that no posts of an obviously religious or culturally sensitive topic be posted on the page. If a post thread deteriorates into a debate we will delete it. Members must be aware that Qatar has strict anti-defamatory laws with regards to online posts. All posts and comments MUST comply with Qatari Law. You can get (and we have several examples of this) into extremely serious trouble with the police and your employer if you post something that offends. JUST DON’T DO IT GUYS. THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU POST SOMETHING CONTENTIOUS!!!
7) Posts should be about life in Qatar please. We really don’t want to see posts about life in other countries unless it is asking from a Qatar perspective. Again, your post may be deleted if us Admins feel it is not appropriate.
8) Abuse: We will not accept abuse of our members (and the Admins)- this includes written abuse on posts, PM’s and this also includes creepy unsolicited messages to any members. We can and will ban members from this group and depending on the severity we may pass this on to the police. If you feel you are a victim of such abuse please contact an Admin or send us an email: abuse@wwhidoha.com. Please include a screenshot of the abuse.
9) Occasionally we may remove posts that keep linking the same story so that the page does not get flooded – this is at our discretion and is no reflection on you. We will also not do posts on your behalf (anonymously)
10) Please comment and post in English Only – this is so that it can help the widest range of people, and also so we can Admin the comments/posts.
11) Rules are subject to change without notice as the world and the page evolves. If you wish to query something please contact an Admin (we are listed on the Pinned Post on the Facebook Page) and not post it to the page.
Updates:
Please note as of February 2018 Bitcoin Trading is illegal in Qatar consequently we will not allow any posts about it.
Credits:
We have drawn from a number of sources for the article below including:
And others.
The Law
A law on the prevention of cybercrime was approved by the Emir of the State of Qatar on September 15 (Act N.14)
Here is a brief overview of some of the significant reforms introduced by this new law;
What are your rights and duties on social media ?
The scope of the new law targets cybercrime, that is the “unlawful use of an information technology technique, an information system or the Internet” in breach of this law.
The definition of information networks is very broad as it applies to « public and private networks and the Internet « , thus to websites and social networking platforms ( Section 1 , Article 1).
Whether you are living in Qatar or you are visiting the country, it is strongly advised, given the values of the country, to think twice and apply common sense prior to posting information, or sharing by a simple click, information on social platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Whatsapp , Viber , etc .).
The posting, through an information network or information technology technique , of news, photos or video or audio recordings violating the privacy rights i.e the sanctity of people’s private or family life, even if the same is true, or social values or principles in Qatar is subject to criminal sanctions (Section 2, Chapter 2 , Article 8)
Online insults, slanders, threats and blackmails of others are also subject to similar criminal sanctions.
Promotion, dissemination or publishing of false news to threaten the safety and security of the State or its public order or domestic and foreign security by any person who set up or runs a website is illegal (Section 2, Chapter 2, Article 6).
A blogger or a journalist based in Qatar is strongly advised to refrain from distributing or sharing a foreign newspaper article that is deemed detrimental to the image of Qatar.
Similarly, the Administrators of a group on Facebook should moderate the discussions of the community if they question the country’s values or breach the Law.
Finally, make sure to block or delete the dissemination of information by others on your Facebook wall. In fact, you might be held liable for the publishing of text or images deemed to violate social values or public order in Qatar.
These criminal acts give rise to criminal sanctions (imprisonment or fine). In addition, the foreign national may be subject to deportation as a result of a court order.
Now hackers of information systems or websites at the expense of state organizations or private sector can be subject to severe criminal penalties (Section 2, Chapter 2, Articles 2 and 3).
This is also true for people who would engage in unlawful intercept of data or online spying (Section 2, Chapter 2, Article 4). These practices are often carried out by people spying on behalf of foreign state agencies or companies. In the latter case, the spying is driven by the motive to collect competitive intelligence about an enterprise’s competitor.
The forgery of electronic documents, the illegal use or creation of electronic transactions cards, (e.g. credit cards) and digital identity theft are also subject to criminal sanctions (Section 2 , Chapter 3, Articles 10, 11 and 12).
Finally, the Qatari authorities may prosecute anyone in Qatar who, through an information network or information technology technique, has violated any intellectual or industrial property that is protected by law (Section 2, Chapter 5, Article 13).
We try to keep this information up to date but if you notice that something needs updating then please contact us on update@wwhidoha.com