Social Media and Privacy in the UAE: A Survey Research

Abstract

Social media is one of the most important agents of social transformation in modern times. They play a critical role for millions of people. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat, are used for socializing, posting updates, communicating with friends and family members, as well as sharing photos. The platforms assist individuals in connecting with thousands of people and hence have the potential of influencing people's lives including the potential negative impact of misuse such as re-sharing someone’s data without their consent. Social media users are expected to use the social media platforms responsibly as privacy is essential in avoiding harm, distortion, public disclosure, and abuses. The study investigates privacy in social media from a legal and ethical perspective in the UAE. It addresses the concern of the users who might be oblivious of privacy, data protection guidelines and the gap in research on privacy in social media. The theoretical background is grounded in social utilitarian ethical theory as an ethical framework. The legal theory applies as it defines and sets boundaries for privacy and its different manifestations in social media.