Dubai Police have arrested a group accused of coordinating false reviews on a company's Google Maps listing in an attempt to damage its reputation. The Social Media Crimes Section opened the investigation after the targeted company filed a formal complaint, and the probe revealed that several other shops had formed similar groups to post damaging, inaccurate comments about competitors.
Major Yasser Juma Mohammed, head of the Social Media Crimes Section at Dubai Police, said there is a clear line between an honest negative review and content that amounts to insult or defamation. "There is a difference between leaving an honest negative review and posting comments that could amount to an insult or defamation," he said, noting the latter can carry serious legal consequences.
Under the UAE's Cybercrimes Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021), Article 43 criminalises online statements that expose a person to punishment or public contempt, with penalties ranging from Dh250,000 to Dh500,000 in fines and/or imprisonment. Deliberately spreading false information carries a minimum one-year jail term and a Dh100,000 fine, rising to two years and a minimum Dh200,000 fine if committed during a state of emergency or crisis.
Dubai-based lawyers including Nikhat Sardar Khan and Ludmila Yamalova of Lylaw say small businesses in the UAE are increasingly being targeted by coordinated fake-review campaigns, with several owners describing being blindsided by sudden waves of hostile, inauthentic comments.
The case is a reminder that online conduct in the UAE is tightly regulated, and that businesses and individuals should be careful to distinguish genuine criticism from organised attempts to harm a competitor's standing.