In this brave new age of borderless information sharing, there is an increasing sense of deepening unease. Surveys of public opinion over the past few years indicate a growing “crisis of confidence”: people don’t know how their personal data is being collected and used and they feel like they’re losing control.
And that sentiment is only getting worse – in research released earlier this year, young people in the United Kingdom thought online privacy was of more significance to them as an issue than extremism, foreign conflicts, the environment, immigration or crime. Academics in the UAE last year also found that as a user’s reliance on the internet grows, issues like personal privacy are starting to “trickle across the world as major concerns”.
Around the world, legislators have debated what new principles, frameworks and ethics are needed to protect our privacy in the “big data” age. The UK has lurched from one legal skirmish to the next; the Communications Data Bill, the Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act, the European Union Data Protection Regulation. The arguments for and against have been long-winded and often highly technical. However, a number of American states, including California, Texas and New Jersey, have criminalised revenge porn and several prosecutions have been made. Despite this, it can be argued that laws don’t really matter.
In extremis, as some in Jon Ronson’s book find to their cost, your privacy in the final instance is not protected by law, but by technology and how you use it. The worst threats to your privacy are not coming from large, respectable companies with reputations to protect and consumers to attract, entities that are willing to be bound by laws. It is from a range of shady organisations and malicious or simply outraged individuals – from embittered boyfriends close to home to sophisticated criminal cartels and strangers on a social-media rampage. And what they do is not dictated by what the law says, but what technology allows them to do. Your safety online is not a question of legal permissibility, but of technological possibility.
“Non-consensual pornography”, better known as revenge porn, has become a new, vicious weapon for jilted ex-lovers. Spoof accounts on social media are set up inviting your family and friends, even co-workers, to join – full of explicit images. Victims have been blackmailed, others harassed for years. The largest websites contain thousands of such images, sometimes gained through trust, sometimes hacked from the victim’s account. Linked to this is “doxing” or life ruining, where available, often embarrassing information about your online persona is swept up by capable internet detectives and connected with who you really are. Suddenly the risqué pictures, or controversial opinions of your offline persona are bombarding your family, friends, school or work.
These are just a few threats among many. The popular arteries of online commerce – like PayPal, Craigslist and eBay – have all been hit by increasingly sophisticated scams and cons. There are also more direct attacks on your online life: hacks. Security vulnerabilities in the software you use are exploited to steal passwords, take control of your webcam, social-media profiles, your smartphone, or to put quietly destructive or compromising software on your unsuspecting devices. Information stored in “cloud” services has also proved vulnerable, and one of the most famous hacks in recent years was the “Celebgate” leaking of 500 private pictures of mainly female celebrities. As with many breaches of privacy, the secondary effects vastly increased the damage, as the images went viral. It’s not just celebrities that are targeted. Criminals have been quietly building “botnets” for years – networks of infected computers they use to participate in further attacks, send out spam and steal private information. The largest are estimated to have more than a million members.
This is the sharp end of privacy, and the most dangerous side of digital life. The consequences of these breaches of privacy can be ruinous – far worse than Google automatically scanning your email account to send you slightly more relevant advertisements. Especially young, especially vulnerable people have had lives ruined online; lost jobs, had to move schools. It has resulted in drug abuse, alcoholism, depression, even suicide.
It is in these worst cases that the law often offers the least protection. Much of this activity is illegal, of course, although it is currently unclear whether a series of new laws has dented these practices. When it does happen, there’s little that the legal authorities can do to reduce the harm. It is very easy to upload content onto social media, and notoriously difficult to remove when it’s there. The internet Watch Foundation reports that 100 per cent of the abusive material referred to them had been taken from its original location and uploaded onto a different website.
Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have struggled to curb ISIL’s use of social media for months. Revenge-porn websites spring up as quickly as they can be closed down, and information about you can be hosted on servers far beyond the jurisdiction of your local police. In these cases, privacy comes down to technology, and how it is used. As we bank and buy online, we use elaborate encryption technology every day, elaborate walls of mathematics to keep us safe. Sometimes, privacy is breached due to a mistake: an identifying address in the backdrop of a photograph, a personal detail casually shared to the wrong person. A whole industry of “cyber threat intelligence” has sprung up to help companies remove compromising details of their employees on social media. Sometimes, the technology itself is undermined. A shadowy market is flourishing in “zero day vulnerabilities”, where the unknown flaws in the software we use every day are found and sold to the highest bidder – sometimes to the software makers themselves, sometimes to the people with our privacy in their sights.
Technologies both help and hinder us, protect our privacy and undermine it. But this is a world of algorithms over ethics. Don’t look to the law to protect you. It is up to everyone to take personal responsibility and learn the basics of the technology that could both save and ruin you – what you use, how you use it, what you share and the possible consequences. It’s the Wild West out there, and everyone needs a bulletproof vest.
Carl Miller is co-founder and research director of the Centre for the Analysis of Social Media at Demos, a London-based think tank.
thereview@thenational.ae
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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LUKA CHUPPI
Director: Laxman Utekar
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Cinema
Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Kriti Sanon, Pankaj Tripathi, Vinay Pathak, Aparshakti Khurana
Rating: 3/5
PREMIER LEAGUE STATS
Romelu Lukaku's goalscoring statistics in the Premier League
Season/club/appearances (substitute)/goals
2011/12 Chelsea: 8(7) - 0
2012/13 West Brom (loan): 35(15) - 17
2013/14 Chelsea: 2(2) - 0
2013/14 Everton (loan): 31(2) - 15
2014/15 Everton: 36(4) - 10
2015/16 Everton: 37(1) - 18
2016/17 Everton: 37(1) - 25
How%20to%20avoid%20getting%20scammed
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3ENever%20click%20on%20links%20provided%20via%20app%20or%20SMS%2C%20even%20if%20they%20seem%20to%20come%20from%20authorised%20senders%20at%20first%20glance%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EAlways%20double-check%20the%20authenticity%20of%20websites%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EEnable%20Two-Factor%20Authentication%20(2FA)%20for%20all%20your%20working%20and%20personal%20services%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EOnly%20use%20official%20links%20published%20by%20the%20respective%20entity%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EDouble-check%20the%20web%20addresses%20to%20reduce%20exposure%20to%20fake%20sites%20created%20with%20domain%20names%20containing%20spelling%20errors%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
Background: Chemical Weapons
The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
THE%20JERSEYS
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Company%20profile
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Read more from Johann Chacko
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Essentials
The flights
Return flights from Dubai to Windhoek, with a combination of Emirates and Air Namibia, cost from US$790 (Dh2,902) via Johannesburg.
The trip
A 10-day self-drive in Namibia staying at a combination of the safari camps mentioned – Okonjima AfriCat, Little Kulala, Desert Rhino/Damaraland, Ongava – costs from $7,000 (Dh25,711) per person, including car hire (Toyota 4x4 or similar), but excluding international flights, with The Luxury Safari Company.
When to go
The cooler winter months, from June to September, are best, especially for game viewing.
The Bio
Favourite holiday destination: Either Kazakhstan or Montenegro. I’ve been involved in events in both countries and they are just stunning.
Favourite book: I am a huge of Robin Cook’s medical thrillers, which I suppose is quite apt right now. My mother introduced me to them back home in New Zealand.
Favourite film or television programme: Forrest Gump is my favourite film, that’s never been up for debate. I love watching repeats of Mash as well.
Inspiration: My late father moulded me into the man I am today. I would also say disappointment and sadness are great motivators. There are times when events have brought me to my knees but it has also made me determined not to let them get the better of me.
