UAE to deport woman for checking her husband's phone

Snooping spouses beware - the UAE's cyber laws are not on your side, as a woman is deported from the country for checking her husband's phone without his permission.

Narrated

1 min read

The New Arab

18 May, 2016

Breaching personal privacy has heavy consequences in the UAE [Getty]

"I want you out!" is perhaps one of the most commonly used phrases to conclude a bitter dispute between a feuding couple.

When one woman in the UAE decided to snoop on her husband's mobile phone, little did she expect that it would result in a judge ordering her out of the country.

On 12 May, Ajman Criminal Court ordered that an Arab national to be deported and pay a fine of Dh150,000 - around $40,800 - for breaching her husband's privacy by gaining access to his mobile phone and transferring photos from the device.

According to UAE daily Gulf News, the suspicious spouse then accused her husband of cheating, but ended up on the wrong side of the law, when she lodged a complaint to a court in the Emirates.

Many were shocked by the verdict and the fact that UAE law punishes offenders of similar crimes to jail for up to six months and fines of not less than Dh150,000 ($44,800).

While untrustworthy husbands and wives under suspicion may take relief from this, jealous spouses may want to take note - the UAE's law is not on your side.