The State of Qatar has introduced an amendment to its cybercrime legislation aimed at addressing the unauthorised publication or circulation of images and videos of individuals on the internet without their consent, knowledge, or in unlawfully declared contexts.
Law No. 11 of 2025 ("Amending Law") was published in the Official Gazette, Edition No. 20 of 2025, issued on 4 August 2025. The Amending Law introduces a new article, Article 8 (bis), to Law No. 14 of 2014 on combating cybercrime. According to the new article, offenders may face the following penalties for privacy violations:
- Imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year;
- A fine of up to 100,000 Qatari Riyals; or
- Both penalties combined.
Specifically, Article 8 (bis) states:
"Punishment by imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year, and by a fine not exceeding (QR 100,000) one hundred thousand Qatari Riyals, or by either of these two penalties, shall be inflicted upon anyone who infringes upon the privacy of individuals while they are in a public place, by publishing or circulating images or video clips of them without their consent or in circumstances not permitted by law, through information network or any other information technology."
The Amending Law is to be implemented and becomes effective upon its publication in the Official Gazette.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
