Legal experts in the UAE are warning parents and school staff that photographing or filming children on school grounds without consent, even for sharing in private WhatsApp groups, can expose them to criminal liability and fines of up to half a million dirhams. Under Article 44 of the UAE's Cybercrimes Law, Federal Law No. 3 of 2016 on Child Rights, known as Wadeema's Law, and the UAE's Personal Data Protection Law, violators can face fines ranging from Dh150,000 to Dh500,000, with the possibility of at least six months in prison in more serious cases. Lawyer Dr Hassan Elhais said that simply taking a photograph of another family's child in a classroom, corridor, playground, assembly or at school drop-off and pick-up points can create criminal exposure on its own, regardless of whether the image is ever shared publicly. He stressed that the act of capturing the image, independent of its distribution, can form the basis of a legal complaint. Lawyer Awatif Al Khouri added that a child's privacy and dignity must be respected in all circumstances, and that there is no exemption for photos shared within what parents consider closed or trusted WhatsApp groups. According to her, circulating another child's image in a private group carries no legal protection. The warning comes as many parents across the UAE routinely photograph their children and classmates during school events, performances and daily pick-up, often sharing the images in class parent groups without a second thought. Legal experts are now urging parents and schools to obtain written consent before photographing or distributing images of other people's children, to avoid falling foul of the law.