Al Bilad newspaper Lawyer Sarah: Imprisonment and 100,000 dinars for those who practice advertising without a license – 2024-06-20 03:46:41

Lawyer Sarah Ali said that social media is a double-edged sword. It is either exploited correctly or incorrectly, and this has been the case recently.

Al-Bilad newspaper pointed out that “social media” is the largest source of interest from people. Today, anyone who owns a specific commercial activity, their first direction for the success of this activity is social media through advertisements or seeking the help of celebrities.”

With regard to the penalties resulting from violation of this law, it stated that the Commercial Registry Law in Article (27) stipulates that: (Anyone who practices A commercial activity without a license from the competent authorities), as Article No. (290) of the Bahraini Penal Code stipulates that: (Anyone who deliberately causes inconvenience to others by misusing telecommunications equipment shall be punished by imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months or a fine not exceeding 50 dinars). or wireless). Article No. (364) of the Penal Code also stipulates: “Anyone who attributes to another person, by any means of publicity, an incident that would make him subject to punishment or contempt shall be punished with imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years or a fine not exceeding two hundred dinars.” Article No. 365) of the same law, stipulating that: “Anyone who publicly slanders another person in a way that harms his honor or reputation without attributing a specific incident shall be punished with imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year or a fine not exceeding one hundred dinars.”

As for the legality of publicity and advertising activity through social media, Ali stated that publicity and advertising activity is considered a commercial activity, and therefore, legally, it is not permissible to practice any commercial activity without obtaining a license from the competent authority and registering it in the licensed commercial registers. Accordingly, publicity and advertising activity is considered an activity. Commercially, it is practiced under a license issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and advertising activity is like any other licensed activity, and it has conditions and obligations that the person who wants to practice that activity must adhere to, for example (being Bahraini nationality – having a physical headquarters – address – bank account and other Conditions required by the Ministry of Industry and Trade).

Regarding whether there is a law that regulates the activity of advertising, she explained that “the law of the Ministry of Industry and Trade did not specifically regulate the activity of advertising and advertising, nor did it codify a special law that regulates that activity individually. As we mentioned, the activity of advertising is like the rest of the commercial activities that require a license from the public.” Ministry of Industry and Trade, and thus committing violations leads to imposing a penalty against the perpetrator of that violation, and some time ago last April, a proposal for a law was discussed by the Shura Council regarding regulating advertising and publicity activity through social media.”

As for the most prominent violations committed by users of social media platforms, Ali mentioned that they include writing offensive comments on a specific post, or cursing, slandering, and slandering, or blackmailing, or hacking. Or theft, fraud, fraud, and other crimes… Then that person begins to misuse that smart device, and in addition to the crime of misusing the means of telecommunications, he commits other crimes, and all of these crimes are legally criminalized according to the Bahraini Penal Code as a general law or the special laws that It has been legalized in this regard.