UAE Tightens Ban on VPNs with Jail Time, Fines of up to A $725,000

bluesky on 29/07/2016 - 17:59
Last edited 29/07/2016 - 18:08

Just a heads-up for fellow OZB travellers who might stop over in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and the broader United Arab Emirates, and might use a VPN.

Just read this article which warns that UAE has tightened ban on VPNs with jail time, fines of up to A$725,000

The crucial bits of the article:

Travellers caught using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and the broader United Arab Emirates could face fines of up to A$725,000 or even jail time under hardened laws introduced this month.
…
With the UAE barring a raft of online services including the voice and video calling features of Skype, Viber, FaceTime and Snapchat, VPNs were traditionally a great way to communicate with loved ones back home without being stung by global roaming fees or needing to buy a local UAE SIM card.
…
While the maximum fine stands at A$725,000 (AED2,000,000), even the minimum punishment of A$181,000 (AED500,000) if caught breaking the local laws will prove unaffordable to most – so you’ll want to rethink hitting that VPN switch while in the UAE.
…
Qantas, Virgin Australia, Emirates and Etihad Airways use the UAE as a springboard between Australia and Europe, with Sydney-Dubai representing Qantas’ flagship QF1 service and continuing through to London Heathrow.

Travel

Comments

  • modsec802 on 29/07/2016 - 18:11
    -2

    So no more using a VPN to watch gay pr0n?

    • Scrooge McDuck on 30/07/2016 - 18:14
      +5

      Just use your neighbour's WiFi.

  • kipps on 29/07/2016 - 18:13
    +78

    What a disgrace. Never, ever going to any of these countries with absurd oppressive regimes.

    • modsec802 on 29/07/2016 - 18:14
      +21

      Agree. Get put in jail for kissing on a park bench.

      Or get put in prison for being raped: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/26/hundreds-of-wo…

      Get executed for being gay.

        • EnALup on 30/07/2016 - 18:19

          Seriously. People come to Australia as we have quite easy laws here and after few years of staying here, these people want the same laws in here as well…

        • lplau on 30/07/2016 - 20:51
          +2

          Yea, Come to australia, If you get caught with drugs overseas the aussie embassy will wasted tax payers money in trying to bail you out. lol.

        • striker5950 on 31/07/2016 - 15:21

          @Gaggy: dont get your panties in a bunch, no one cares what they want if said "they" actually want such laws here according to you. there is the rule of law and regulations and the government is in charge of it all, you don't worry about it no one is out to get you.

        • striker5950 on 31/07/2016 - 15:22
          +5

          @Sinful: you have been watching too much fox news and CNN propaganda, get off ur ass and go for a jog

        • EnALup on 01/08/2016 - 13:32
          -6

          @striker5950: I can see what is being done. I have to worry, If no one does, else who will. So please don't waste your time writing such comments and you don't worry about it as well. Muppet from Lindt siege attacker should not be even out in first place when he started publically his outrage. It happened because people like you didn't worry.
          Closing your eyes from problem does not solve it automatically. Small example is Halal items slowly are introduced in mall chains. Can you introduce pork Middle east ?

      • Scrooge McDuck on 30/07/2016 - 18:44
        +2

        Or gaoled for 4 years for having 3 poppy seeds from a bread roll on your clothing:

        http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7234786.stm

        • bluesky on 30/07/2016 - 19:11
          +1

          So summarizing the list of things to be careful:

          • poppy seeds from any prior eaten breadroll which might have stuck to clothes
          • prescription drugs, painkillers e.g codeine
          • melatonin tablets
          • also what could be in urine or bloodstream
            > "What many travellers may not realise is that they can be deemed to be in possession of such banned substances if they can be detected in their urine or bloodstream, or even in tiny, trace amounts on their person."

          What is not clear, is whether if you are just transiting, and do not leave the airport, might you be searched and found foul of their laws? May be hard to avoid given big airlines will transit through there.

        • kipps on 31/07/2016 - 15:27
          +8

          @bluesky: Even if you're "just transiting", you run the risk that your airline has a break-down/cancellation and you need to exit the airport overnight to wait for your next flight. You might well find yourself the subject of an absurd search in a country you never really intended to enter. Best to avoid it altogether IMO.

        • bluesky on 31/07/2016 - 16:34

          @kipps: The more I discover, the more I am inclined to avoid in future, even if alternate routes end up more expensive. The problem is: it is so easy to trip up. What else can get one into trouble? Holding hands? One can never be sure.

        • airzone on 31/07/2016 - 18:40

          @bluesky: Singapore will catch transiting drug mules. Why not these?

      • frostman on 31/07/2016 - 21:11
        +1

        Agree. Get put in jail for kissing on a park bench.

        Similar laws exist in Thailand and Bali which can see you face 100 years in prison if you disrespect an authority, swear, or act like a turd. Yet we aussies still flock to Bali like flies to shit.

      • nikey2k27 on 01/08/2016 - 01:34
        -1

        It a shit hole place i have firend that live there and work there he hates it.

    • airzone on 29/07/2016 - 18:31
      +11

      I've been there. I can save you the effort, it is not worth stepping out of the plane.

      • [Deactivated] on 31/07/2016 - 02:36
        +1

        I agree.

    • imurgod on 31/07/2016 - 08:55
      +5

      Agree. Despite what they want to portray to the world, they're a bunch of backward barbarians at heart.

    • worldwidehappiness on 31/07/2016 - 15:03
      +6

      Agree to avoid these countries. Also avoid countries with the death penalty, violent cops, horrible prison systems, and torture sites, e.g. America.

  • airzone on 29/07/2016 - 18:14
    +4

    I'd like to see something official, not an article in a news website.

    • modsec802 on 29/07/2016 - 18:17

      It's on a number of news sites. Although it seems to have been sensationalised a bit.

      • airzone on 29/07/2016 - 18:21

        I saw it's been on news sites since mid 2015.

        I also saw that it's only a compounding problem if you get caught doing something else illegal.

        But if it's a real problem, I'll ban VPN access to my network from addresses originating in the UAE and put out a notice to the other managers to not do it.

        • Diji1 on 29/07/2016 - 18:50

          The pre-existing law basically made doing something illegal with a VPN illegal.

          The new law just bans VPNs.

        • airzone on 29/07/2016 - 22:41
          +3

          @Diji1: More news articles, but this time from the local news agencies..
          https://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates/1395298018406.html
          http://www.khaleejtimes.com/UAE-federal-laws-NMC-media-gover…

          You're looking for 12/2016:

          President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan also issued Federal Law No. 12/2016 amending Federal Law No. 5/2012 on combating information technology crimes.

          Article 1 provides for replacing the text of Article 9 of Federal Law No. 9/2012 as follows: Whoever uses a fraudulent computer network protocol address (IP address) by using a false address or a third-party address by any other means for the purpose of committing a crime or preventing its discovery, shall be punished by temporary imprisonment and a fine of no less than AED500,000 and not exceeding AED2,000,000, or either of these two penalties.

          Article 2 of the law states that the law shall be published in the Official Gazette and shall come into effect the day following publication. PH

          I don't see a ban on VPN. I only see a ban on using technology to obfuscate criminal activity.

          VPN isn't only used by individuals, it forms the backbone of many multinational companies - at least where private mpls (or atm, frame relay, etc) circuits are not available.

        • bluesky on 29/07/2016 - 22:58

          @airzone: My concern is if you use it and are accused, how do you prove you are not using it for criminal activity? The comm stream is encrypted. I would prefer to avoid it altogether.

      • striker5950 on 31/07/2016 - 15:24
        +1

        did you just read what he wrote? "something official" "not in a news site"

      • airzone on 29/07/2016 - 18:24
        +3

        Whoever uses a fraudulent computer network protocol address (IP address) by using a false address or a third-party address by any other means for the purpose of committing a crime or preventing its discovery, shall be punished by temporary imprisonment and a fine of no less than Dhs 500,000 and not exceeding Dhs 2,000,000, or either of these two penalties.

        So VPN is not illegal, but using VPN to perform illegal activity is then.

        • modsec802 on 29/07/2016 - 18:31
          +6

          But there's a lot of things that illegal in the UAE that are acceptable in the western world.

          Such as:

          Watching any pornography.
          Discussing faiths other than Islam
          Criticising Islam
          Criticising the Government
          Having relationships with the opposite sex outside of marriage
          Having relationships with the same sex

        • airzone on 29/07/2016 - 18:43
          +9

          @juicedpixels: When in rome, do as the romans do..

          You need to remember that these are the laws in UAE. You are a visitor there. Agree or not, you follow or pay the penalty.

          It's also reasonably acceptable to have personal quantities of weed in Australia. Try the same thing in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and see where that gets you…

          How hypocritical can we be to expect that people come to Australia and follow our laws, when we expect to go to theirs and not follow their own. Be an example! Research and follow foreign laws when you visit, and then we can all sit back and fairly judge those who come here and ignore ours - as is our right!

          And yes, some of their laws are abhorrent to our ways of thinking. But you can't try and have them change their views by ignoring them and doing it anyway. In this respect, I feel really badly for women who are raped in Dubai, because no matter what they do, they can never receive justice…

        • Diji1 on 29/07/2016 - 18:52
          +2

          @airzone: Why are you lecturing poor @juicedpixels about how incorrect he is about I have no idea? :|

        • bluesky on 29/07/2016 - 18:54
          +4

          @airzone: Not quite sure why the discussion has taken this direction. It was meant to inform, so as a traveller, we can follow all laws, and not inadvertently break the law due to ignorance, and get into trouble!

        • airzone on 29/07/2016 - 19:09
          +11

          @Diji1: It's not juicedpixels specifically, but the commonality of the attitude.. It genuinely aggravates me that we blast on in this country about "follow our way or gtfo" and yet we expect everyone else in the world to be tolerant of our own ways to the degradation of theirs… You can't have your cake and eat it.

          See how the reputation of mainland chinese tourists presents them as animals, loud and ignorant americans, etc.. We should strive to be better than that, because we are - but only if we choose to be.

          It's all beside the point anyway.. In no way am I promoting UAE as a place to go - I have experienced it and can confidently say it's disgusting. If it turns out that VPN is illegal to use regardless of the situation, then I'll do my part to ensure compliance for our company travellers.

        • parisienne on 30/07/2016 - 09:25

          @airzone: Yes,all that may be a point….except when that doesn't happen HERE.
          To paraphrase (a LOT) an awesome line from The Joker in response to your comment…"a woman can be raped "you shouldn't have worn that there" / a Catholic can be hunted "well,that's not ok in that place" / asking for a meat product to be added to a burger "you wanted WHAT with that "….and no one bats an eye because it's all part of "The Plan"..the "plan " being tolerance.
          Do the same in a place that all those are not a problem and everyone loses their freaking minds".What i am saying is that yes,go to a particular country,expect to follow whatever psychotic,abhorrent laws they instill..or better yet,don't go.But to go somewhere that those are not the law,and get all protesty about it when those laws aren't changed to fit you (and have some locals feel that "yep,we should understand" and join in that protest ),it is like laughing in the face of where you are (but God help you if you try that s#!* elsewhere ).Be an example you say…yep,cos' THAT seems to be working in Europe sooooo well.

        • airzone on 30/07/2016 - 09:38
          -2

          @parisienne: If those people are caught, they deserve be put in a cell with big bubba and after he's had his way, they can be returned on a silver platter to whoever they're running away from with tales of their extramarital man-love escapades.

          It is a 2 way street afterall..

        • outlander on 30/07/2016 - 09:57
          -1

          @airzone:

          I understand where your coming from, but there is no point in preaching tolerance for the intolerant.

          Your incorrect in claiming that Australian's or even Arab's follow the laws of their countries. Nobody follows a law they don't agree with, unless the fear of getting caught exceeds the desire.

          I would advise anyone looking to break any law to do some research. You don't have to respect the reasons behind the law, but you should respect the power behind it. Being morally right will not save you from a man with a salami sword.

          One last point, the more people that break a law, the more everyone else becomes comfortable following them in doing so, and the public pressure can force the law makers to action. Good or bad, you can change things just by doing what you want.

        • cryptos on 30/07/2016 - 15:53
          -1

          @juicedpixels: "Having relationships with the same sex" that's quite a braod statement, I have a relationship with my father?

        • Scrooge McDuck on 30/07/2016 - 18:48
          +1

          @airzone:

          When in rome, do as the romans do..

          Or just don't go to Rome.

        • striker5950 on 31/07/2016 - 15:25

          for the purpose of committing a crime or preventing its discovery
          thankyou
          so avoid doing any crimes and you should be fine, people read the first two words and freak out for no reason, now lets establish what is a crime in UAE.

        • striker5950 on 31/07/2016 - 15:29

          @juicedpixels: where did you get "discussing faiths other than islam" as a crime? link please, and a reliable link if you can

        • bluesky on 31/07/2016 - 15:56

          @striker5950: I found articles on these faith-related issues as crime - proselytising and apostasy.

          I suppose if you discuss faiths other than Islam and are not accused of proselytising, you will be fine(?!)

        • qazwsx on 01/08/2016 - 03:07

          @airzone: Agree with when in rome, but the weed analogy is off. Weed illegal in aust, just as it is in south east asia - the severity of the crime is different. What juicedpixels mentioned - none of it is illegal in Aust (unless you want to section 18C the Islam stuff).

    • bluesky on 29/07/2016 - 18:20

      A few references here, but not sure which are reputable news sources. Bet there will be more on this, if it is a genuine story. I just thought the adverse impact quoted is quite great, so at least one can verify it before travelling, if one might be impacted by this.

      • airzone on 29/07/2016 - 18:30

        I appreciate the effort, but it seems to me that it's about making a crime more of a problem if you hide it… As an example, watching porn in UAE.. Torrenting. Concealing terrorist communications.

        Unfortunately it also looks like some media outlets have blown it way out of proportion in order to drive traffic to their site - i.e. click-bait.

        So if you see something from the UAE govt stating that any use of VPN is illegal, then it becomes a different problem.

        • bluesky on 29/07/2016 - 18:42

          It wouldn't surprise me if it were true, due to the things that happen there. Like what juicedpixels mentioned. Better be safe than sorry …

        • airzone on 29/07/2016 - 18:47
          +2

          @bluesky: IMO it's better to avoid the cesspool if you can avoid it.

        • The Gent on 29/07/2016 - 22:30

          @airzone: main throughway to "not Australia", unfortunately.

        • airzone on 29/07/2016 - 22:43

          @The Gent: That's unfortunate, but a sign of the times.

        • McFly on 30/07/2016 - 23:46
          -1

          @The Gent: Which is why Qantas et. al. have permanently lost my (Europe) business - Sing Air FTW.

  • chumlee on 29/07/2016 - 18:28

    Just wait till 2022 world cup. They won't know what hit them with a flood of westerners doing what they like when they like how they like

    • airzone on 29/07/2016 - 18:50
      +4

      If I recall, World Cup will be in Qatar… Which isn't UAE. I haven't been there before, but I fully expect it to be worse than UAE in every respect.

      • chumlee on 29/07/2016 - 19:01
        +11

        Same haircut different style

        • airzone on 29/07/2016 - 19:16
          +3

          I had an acquaintance who did a few years expat work in Saudi Arabia.. I can state that UAE, while a disgusting place itself, is infinitely better than some of it's neighboring countries.

          I don't know anyone with experience in Qatar, but as you say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

        • R4 on 30/07/2016 - 22:50

          @airzone:

          My cousin (from California) and his family are just about to move to Saudi Arabia for a few years

          I know they're going for the money but I don't really think that they know what they are getting themselves into………..

        • airzone on 31/07/2016 - 13:16

          @R4: I hope they are moving to a gated expat community. The locals apparently turned a blind eye to whatever happened behind the gates.

        • R4 on 31/07/2016 - 14:00

          @airzone:

          Yes, they will be living in an expat (mainly American) compound

          Good luck to them

    • GordonR on 29/07/2016 - 18:50
      +1

      Which World Cup?

      The soccer (football) Fifa World Cup 2022 is in Qatar, not UAE.

    • Diji1 on 29/07/2016 - 18:54

      They usually relax the laws around these events so Blacks were treated better by Nazi Germany than Americans at home at the 1936 Olympic Games and people in China in 2008 weren't blocked from half the internet etc.

    • striker5950 on 31/07/2016 - 15:33

      LOL dis guy, world cup in qatar..

  • whooah1979 on 29/07/2016 - 19:09

    how would they know that one uses a vpn? don't they sell burner sim/phones there?

    • bluesky on 29/07/2016 - 19:12

      Some countries require ID to register for this. Not sure if this applies there though.

    • airzone on 29/07/2016 - 21:35

      Depends on the VPN tech. Generally it's easily detectable that you're using a VPN, unless you're using one that tunnels over ssl. But practically, it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

  • Sage on 29/07/2016 - 20:29
    -8

    who cares.
    this is OZ bargain.

  • hasselbladsnapper on 29/07/2016 - 20:58

    I may be a stupid old devil!, but how does Skype come under a VPN ruling.
    When I travel overseas Skype is my go to for contact home, I find it hard to believe that there is a problem with this activity. The "dark web" I can understand, but Skype ????!!.

    • Diji1 on 29/07/2016 - 21:21

      They want to be all up in your dick pics.

      Just like ASIO wants to.

      Thank **** we haven't gone that far down the road yet although let us not forget Australia's metadata retention laws which are now in effect (although as i understand it data is not being collected by ISPs yet due to duh gummints expecting them to pay for spying on us). When data does start being collected the metadata of every Australian will be kept for 2 years.

      Since many Australian's are ignorant or don't care about this they won't turn to VPNs - but if they gave a crap about their own gummints spying on them even though they're innocent of any crime - then they could use a VPN to sidestep this intrusion by the leaders you elected.

      And then duh gummints would either need to ban VPNs or stop the metadata collection since it would be pointless.

    • airzone on 29/07/2016 - 22:45
      +1

      UAE don't like VoIP technologies that bypass their own local carrier's ability to bill you for the call. It's not uncommon.

    • hmac on 30/07/2016 - 01:02

      If you have been there, you would know services like these are banned there. The mobile phones that are sold there are sold with software modifications so that stuff like whatsapp and skype wont work.

    • CVonC on 31/07/2016 - 15:38

      Since when was Skype banned? That was still working at the end of last year. Not sure if it's still the case as I have no means to test.

  • bluesky on 29/07/2016 - 21:15

    Just curious if WhatsApp is banned in UAE. Well, at least the voice calling is.

    • Diji1 on 29/07/2016 - 21:23

      Probably not because Whatsapp is a joke as far as anonymity and privacy goes.

    • hmac on 30/07/2016 - 01:02

      yes, phones sold there have whatsapp blocked in the software

    • xuqi on 30/07/2016 - 17:49

      I'm sure if you search hard enough, you'd find a Fatwa against its use.

  • Donaldhump on 29/07/2016 - 21:35
    +3

    Goto Sri Lanka, you can run around naked fooe 36 bucks

    • The Gent on 29/07/2016 - 22:33

      Ahh Sri Lanka…the only damn place you can find violent Buddhists lol

      I'm not even kidding.

      • bluesky on 29/07/2016 - 22:46
        +1

        Not the only place, Burma also: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22356306

        • The Gent on 29/07/2016 - 22:48
          +1

          That's fair.

          EDIT: to clarify - the point that Burma also has this issue is fair, not the idea that you can commit acts of violent hatred against a person or group of people based on their beliefs.

        • bluesky on 29/07/2016 - 23:02

          @The Gent: We know what you mean :-)

      • frewer on 31/07/2016 - 17:05

        LOL as in "violent Gandhi in Civilization V?"

        On a serious note, should we judge that tree by its fruit ? If I profess myself a Christ's follower and still lying and cheating … then I'm not Christian at all.

        • The Gent on 31/07/2016 - 21:50

          A repulsive person could still follow all tenets of Christianity. In fact, some of us believe that in order to do that, for the most part, you have to be.

        • frewer on 01/08/2016 - 16:42

          @The Gent: What do you mean by a Christian must be repulsive ?
          We're living in a moral bound world, laws & orders have it places. Things has it place, I don't think anyone can write their own rules and live by it.

        • The Gent on 01/08/2016 - 18:21

          @frewer: I didn't say Christians were repulsive; I said some people believe that they are.

  • [Deactivated] on 30/07/2016 - 00:41
    +2

    I would never ever go to such country! With VPN, without VPN or for any reason.

  • CI on 30/07/2016 - 06:27
    +1

    I live in AbuDhabi currently; haven't heard anything official yet - if true fml

  • [Deactivated] on 30/07/2016 - 09:48
    -4

    We expect people who visit our country to comply with our laws, so why do we have such a problem when we go to their countries'?
    Double standards?

    • stickyfingers on 30/07/2016 - 13:53
      +8

      Because they have stupid laws.

    • immortalbjr on 30/07/2016 - 20:01
      +1

      You cant live in Australia, do you think anyone who comes here cares about our values or beliefs? Give it a few years you'll be needing to go to your local Mosque to vote.

      Go to their country - respect their laws. They come to our country - respect their laws still. Welcome to Australia, the country with no backbone left.

      • striker5950 on 31/07/2016 - 15:40
        -4

        relax your tits, a mosques is a place of worship just like a church or a temple, whats the difference, who cares where the voting takes place..

    • [Deactivated] on 31/07/2016 - 10:02

      It's easy to spot the difference between the 'tourists' and the 'travellers'!

    • RocketSwitch on 01/08/2016 - 09:40

      One must wonder when humanity will evolve. What the hell is wrong with the world?

  • cryptos on 30/07/2016 - 15:56
    +2

    Idiots, building a tourism business as their oil future looks bleak, then running a totalitarian police state.. It get very hot, maybe their brains have dehydrated???

    • xuqi on 30/07/2016 - 17:45
      +5

      No, their brains never evolved!

  • rgr on 30/07/2016 - 17:06

    the UAE is honestly no different to communist russia/china, except maybe you replace a political ideology with a religion.

    • DWH on 01/08/2016 - 10:39

      If all you read is Western MSM, then yes. All countries that don't bend over the US are 'evil' - add to the list North Korea, Iran, etc.

      Don't forget that Snowden had to flee to Russia to receive political asylum.

      • rgr on 01/08/2016 - 18:07
        +2

        yeah but dude, cmon, communism has always been about taking things from people by force and instilling violent revolutions. it's not about west vs east, look at how north korea is doing compared to it's neighbour in the south, hardly close to decent.

  • [Deactivated] on 30/07/2016 - 22:16
    +1

    worst part of traveling to Europe having a stopover in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, can't wait to get on the next plan

    • frewer on 31/07/2016 - 14:02
      +3

      Is that your PLAN

  • R4 on 30/07/2016 - 22:30
    +1

    In the West you have to be caught with drugs in your possession in order to be charged for drug offences. In the Gulf you can be charged and convicted for having drugs in your system. Codeine - something that can be bought over the counter here - is considered a narcotic there. There was a case a few years ago of a British woman who was jailed for drug offences because codeine was detected in a blood sample that she had given

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/southern_counties…

    I really cannot see the appeal of voluntarily spending time in the land of sand (aka the Middle-East). Each to their own I guess

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