Dubai Police have confirmed using electronic surveillance operations to monitor private WhatsApp communications, raising serious privacy concerns after multiple individuals were arrested for sharing content within closed group chats.
According to official internal police documents, authorities stated they used “electronic monitoring operations” to detect photos shared within private WhatsApp groups that were never publicly posted. The revelations emerged through separate cases involving airline crew members detained under UAE cybercrime laws. In one case, authorities detected material showing smoke rising from a building following Iran-related incidents in March 2026.
The image had been shared only among airline colleagues in a closed WhatsApp group, yet Dubai Police’s Electronic and Cybercrime Department formed a specialized team to conduct technical investigation and evidence gathering. A second case involves a 32-year-old Emirates Airlines flight attendant who has been held in custody for over one month since his arrest on March 8. According to his family, the cabin crew member had just returned to Dubai after being stranded abroad due to flight disruptions when he was woken by a loud explosion that shook his room.
He took a photograph and shared it privately via WhatsApp with colleagues, asking whether it was safe to leave for work or remain where he was. The image was subsequently forwarded by others, although he did not publish it publicly. Authorities confirmed they identified him through “active electronic surveillance,” tracked him down, and asked him to attend a police station for what was described as a chat, where he was then arrested.
The individual is currently detained at Al Qusais Police Station and faces charges relating to state security and public order. He fears transfer to Abu Dhabi, which would place him at higher risk of extended detention and lengthier sentences if convicted. Both cases were escalated to State Security Prosecution, where charges include publishing information deemed harmful to state interests. The arrests occurred despite the content never being shared publicly.
Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai, a human rights organization assisting foreign nationals facing legal issues in the UAE, stated that the cases represent explicit confirmation of surveillance capabilities.
“Dubai Police have now explicitly confirmed they are conducting electronic surveillance operations capable of detecting private WhatsApp messages,” Stirling said. “Individuals are being tracked, identified, and arrested not for public statements, but for private exchanges between colleagues.”
Stirling emphasized that many residents would not have been aware of restrictions, particularly in the immediate aftermath of regional incidents.
“This man had just returned to Dubai after being out of the country. His employer, state-owned Emirates Airlines, provided no guidance, and warnings were not widely circulated at the time,” she stated.
The cases form part of a growing pattern of arrests linked to online expression during recent regional security incidents. Detained in Dubai continues to receive reports involving tourists, residents, and airline crew detained for sending, receiving, or retaining content, even where there was no public dissemination.
Stirling warned that the implications could affect thousands of expatriates, revealing another concerning case involving a comedian detained for nearly one month after performing a one-line sketch.
“He was called into a police station without explanation and has remained in detention for over 28 days under the UAE’s cybercrime laws,” Stirling explained. “If this is how the law is being applied, then thousands of expatriates could be at risk, not just for social media posts, but for jokes, satire, or even private messages.”
The revelation also raises questions for global technology platforms about user privacy protections. Just last week, a British Emirates employee was released from detention, although former detainees face severe consequences including job loss and trauma from weeks in custody.
The use of surveillance technology to monitor private messaging platforms raises concerns about privacy, proportionality, and the scope of UAE cybercrime laws, particularly where enforcement extends to closed, personal communications that were never intended for public viewing.
WhatsApp, owned by Meta, has not publicly responded to questions about how Dubai authorities accessed messages sent through the encrypted messaging platform. The service employs end-to-end encryption, meaning messages are theoretically only visible to sender and recipient.
