Qatar has introduced stricter privacy protections under its Cybercrime Law, imposing tougher penalties on individuals and organisations that capture or share images or videos without consent.
Law No. 11 of 2025, published in the Official Gazette on 4 August, adds Article 8 (bis) to Cybercrime Law No. 14 of 2014. The amendment makes it a criminal offence to publish or circulate photos or video clips of individuals without their approval, even if the content was recorded in public spaces. Offenders may face up to one year in prison and fines reaching QR100,000 (about USD 27,000).
The new law broadens the scope of privacy protection in Qatar. Previously, the law mainly focused on shielding private or family life from exposure. Now, even casual or incidental recordings in public areas could attract legal action if done without consent.
Legal experts highlight that the change will significantly impact businesses and individuals. Marketing firms, event organisers, media outlets, and social media influencers must now review their practices for capturing and sharing visual content. Hospitality and retail venues that use promotional photography will also need to ensure robust consent procedures are in place.
Organisations are advised to update their privacy policies, train staff, and adopt risk mitigation steps such as: displaying clear consent notices at venues, including consent language on event tickets, gaining verbal or written permission for close-up shots, blurring faces in crowd images, and avoiding filming minors or vulnerable people without documented approval.
“Social media influencers and content creators who frequently post public content may face legal risks if they do not obtain consent. Even retail and hospitality venues that rely on promotional photography must implement clear consent mechanisms,” said a legal expert.
With this amendment, Qatar strengthens its stance on digital privacy and sets new compliance requirements across industries that rely heavily on visual media.
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