Insulting someone on WhatsApp can get you a hefty fine in Kuwait, as one woman recently found out.
According to El Rdar news site, the woman was shocked to learn she'd be fined 3,000 KD ($10,000) over an insult she had texted to a friend via the messaging app.
"You have no shame and your parents failed to properly bring you up," the defendant had written in her message to the friend, who then reported the text to the country's cybercrime bureau.
Since news of the case started to make the rounds online on Monday, hundreds of users reacted, sharing their thoughts on the matter.
Some thought the fine was well deserved
تستاهل
— بو محمد (@al_abjar) November 26, 2017
Others, not so much
بسس عشان قالت اهلج ماربوج ؟؟
— شيهانة بدو (@doo5_2005) November 27, 2017
"Are you serious?"
من صجك ياكثر ماسبيت بالقروب 😂😂
— مستقلة (@ssww12370) November 27, 2017
Many turned to humor
تغريم فتاة مبلغ 3000 دينار بعدما أشتكت عليها صديقتها بأنها قد كتبت لها «ما تستحين وأهلج ما ربوج» في الوتس آب. pic.twitter.com/EcwJ6xf9Gz
— المجلس 🇰🇼 (@Almajlliss) November 26, 2017
"If I file cases against my friends I'll become Al Walid bin Talal."
People are now thinking of filing their own cases
هذي كم عليها يالطيب pic.twitter.com/hFDEjCh1hp
— Ahmad | أحمد (@Ahmad_Abdul3ziz) November 26, 2017
"How much would I get if I file a case reporting this insult?"
"Let's hope this doesn't become a trend"
ان شاء الله ماتصير هبّه 🤕
— أبلة ميم ' (@meem__just) November 26, 2017
WhatsApp messages can get you in serious trouble across the GCC
Saudi judge sentences two women to 10 lashes each because they exchanged insults on WhatsApp https://t.co/fhEf8QhsY4
— Ahmed Al Omran (@ahmed) October 30, 2017
Insulting someone on WhatsApp is a serious crime in countries across the Gulf.
In a case reported by Okaz newspaper earlier last month, a Saudi judge sentenced 2 women to 10 lashes each, after they insulted each other via the messaging app.
The ruling was revealed in a report on the increase of crimes related to social media in the kingdom.
According to the local newspaper, such offenses have been on the rise in recent months, with over 220 social media crimes reported in the past 6 months alone.
Swearing on WhatsApp can also get people in major trouble in the UAE.
In the country, a rigid cybercrime law is set in place - governing various aspects of the internet including social media posts made to Facebook and Whatsapp messages.
According to the UAE's 2012 cybercrime law, individuals can be prosecuted if they make statements deemed "disrespectful" toward Islam, morals, and good conduct.
This includes slander and breach of privacy, as well as posts or comments that are meant to harm another's reputation and/or publishing information about an individual without permission.
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