Investigations Reveal Alleged Criminal Groups Engaged in Disinformation
In a continued effort to monitor and address the dissemination of misleading information and fabricated content on digital platforms, which aims to provoke confusion and undermine public security, the Public Attorney, Dr. Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, has ordered the arrest of an additional group of 25 individuals from various nationalities. They have been referred for urgent prosecution following proof of their involvement in sharing digital content that misleads public opinion and threatens national stability. This brings the total number of arrests to 35 suspects.
Investigations and electronic monitoring revealed that the accused formed three distinct groups engaged in different illicit activities. These included posting actual footage relating to current events, fabricating videos using artificial intelligence technologies, and promoting a nation involved in military aggression while glorifying its leadership and actions.
Group One
Some suspects in this group disseminated real video footage documenting the passage and interception of missiles over the country, as well as the aftermath of their landing. They filmed gatherings of people observing these events and added commentary and sound effects that suggested attacks, raising alarm and panic within the community. The dissemination of such content may also have equipped hostile accounts with material to propagate misleading narratives regarding the country’s security situation, potentially exposing certain defense capabilities and strategies.
Group Two
Authorities noted that members of this group were responsible for distributing fabricated video content created with artificial intelligence, or republishing footage of incidents that occurred outside the country while asserting that they took place locally. These videos depicted fake explosions, fires, and rising smoke clouds or missile launches crashing within the country, accompanied by various emirate names, flags, or specific dates and times to lend credibility to these false claims, thereby misguiding public perception and inciting fear among citizens.
Group Three
Investigations showed that another subset of suspects propagated content glorifying a hostile nation and its military leadership while promoting their military actions in the region. They circulated videos and images praising the leadership of that country or called for solidarity with it, additionally portraying missile attacks as military achievements while sharing propaganda materials that supported counterproductive media narratives detrimental to the national interest.
The Public Prosecution has initiated proceedings against the suspects regarding the charges against them and has ordered their provisional detention throughout the investigations.
The Public Attorney emphasized that these actions constitute serious violations of the law, necessitating the implementation of appropriate legal measures against the perpetrators, considering their potential to mislead public opinion and incite unrest within society.
Earlier, the Public Attorney had ordered the arrest of 10 individuals from different nationalities for their role in disseminating genuine footage of defense forces intercepting attacks and their impact, as well as posting fake videos created with artificial intelligence that insinuated attacks or explosions within the country, targeting key landmarks or depicting extensive fires and smoke in various areas, contrary to actual events.
Such incidents also involved exploiting children’s emotions in video clips alleging the occurrence of security events that did not take place while spreading claims about the destruction of facilities or military bases domestically, and misrepresenting incidents that occurred outside the country as if they were local, all contributing to public misconception and rising anxiety among citizens.
The distribution of both authentic and fabricated clips was likely to affect public security and cultivate confusion, providing hostile media with resources that could distort facts and undermine trust in relevant authorities, as well as reveal certain defensive capabilities.
The Public Prosecution is actively investigating those involved in the alleged offenses and has ordered their remand.
The Public Attorney noted that these activities are criminal offenses punishable by imprisonment for no less than one year and a fine of not less than AED 100,000, given their intent to mislead the public and compromise security, instilling fear among individuals, and undermining social peace.
He assured that the Public Prosecution will not hesitate to pursue anyone exploiting cyberspace or modern technologies to spread disinformation or fabricated content that threatens state security or disturbs community peace, or to circulate clips showcasing the nation’s defense responses to such attacks and the implications of their exposure on public interest and security. He emphasized that all individuals found to be involved in these offenses will face immediate legal accountability, and relevant authorities will continue to monitor these abuses and take stringent legal actions against offenders.
In a related effort, the Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Directorate in Abu Dhabi has apprehended 45 individuals from various nationalities for photographing multiple locations during the ongoing events and sharing them on social media, along with circulating inaccurate and misleading information, which could stir public sentiment and spread rumors.
