Invade privacy, face prison and pay fine
TDT | Manama
Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com
MPs being filmed munching on chocolates during a parliamentary session and then ridiculed online — one of many privacy breaches that will now carry jail terms of up to a year and fines reaching BD5,000 under a new law approved by the Shura Council yesterday.
A bill criminalising eavesdropping on phone calls, prying into private messages, and unauthorised filming has been cleared for the next stage, setting out stiff penalties for those caught meddling where they shouldn’t.
The law, which will now be sent back to Parliament, punishes anyone caught opening letters, listening in on calls, or recording others without permission.
If they share what they’ve ferreted out, the consequences will be harsher.
Supporters of the changes say they are long overdue, as existing penalties are too weak to deter those who invade people’s privacy for money, revenge, or amusement.
Viral humiliation
The rise of social media has made it easier than ever to spread private moments far and wide, turning harmless acts into viral humiliation.
Shura member Dr Ali Al Haddad warned that artificial intelligence has made it even harder to tell truth from fakery, with deepfakes and doctored videos becoming tools f o r b l a c k m a i l a n d s m e a r campaigns.
“Privacy breaches aren’t just about hidden cameras anymore,” he said. “Technology has made it easier to ruin lives with a single click.”
Others raised concerns about public spaces, with Dr Fatima Al Kooheji questioning whether snapping photos at beaches and open-air events would now be considered a crime.
Private spaces
“Plenty of gatherings happen outdoors — how does the law separate public from private spaces?” she asked.
But Dr Ahmed Al Orraiyed hit back, saying that privacy should be about individuals, not locations.
“Satellites already film parks and beaches — there’s no hiding from that,” he said. “The law needs to stop people from being exploited, not ban photography in open areas.”
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