"In the UAE, authorities have nearly 400 people arrested for recording events related to the conflict and for circulating information they described as misleading or fabricated. Police have claimed this material could stir public anxiety and spread rumors, and state-linked reporting has described the crackdown as part of a broader effort to defend the country from digital misinformation."
"Qatar's Interior Ministry has arrested more than 300 people for filming, circulating, or publishing what the ministry deemed to be misleading information. These actions reflect a broader trend of governments using legal frameworks to suppress dissent and control the narrative during wartime."
Governments in the Gulf have intensified efforts to silence dissent amid escalating conflicts, restricting journalists' access to conflict areas and threatening legal consequences for reporting. This has weakened independent journalism and elevated official narratives, limiting public access to accurate information. Ordinary internet users face severe restrictions, with hundreds arrested for social media activity related to the war. Existing cybercrime laws are used to criminalize vague offenses, allowing authorities to suppress dissent under the guise of combating misinformation.
Read at Electronic Frontier Foundation
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