UAE releases media activity regulations

The National Media Council (NMC), the federal authority tasked with supervising all media activities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has recently issued electronic media activity regulations, notes law firm Clyde&Co. “Under the regulations, any individual or company carrying on electronic media activities in the UAE is required to obtain a licence. While the term ‘media activity’ is not defined, the regulations include a list of four activity types which the NMC considers to be electronic media activities: websites for trading, offering and selling of audiovisual and print material, on-demand electronic publishing and printing, specialised websites (e-advertising, news sites, etc.) and any electronic activity that the NMC may determine to add. Every website that is subject to an electronic media licence must appoint an administrator to oversee the website’s content, and the regulations provide that any person who carries on electronic media activities through an account on a generally recognised social media platform (on a commercial basis) must obtain a licence from the NMC. “Accordingly, it is possible that an individual in the UAE who is paid by a company to advertise or promote its brands or products through his or her social media accounts (including on platforms such as Instagram or Snapchat) will need to obtain a licence to continue to carry on such activities.” Read more

• Thursday, 26 April 2018