Nick O'Connell is a senior associate at the telecoms, media and technology practice at Al Tamimi. Here, he talks about his role and the challenges facing businesses regarding online law.
What sort of problems do your clients come to you with?
It is very diverse. One particularly common issue is advertising content and whether an advertisement is scandalous or offensive and whether it could be seen to be breaching provisions of the Cyber Law. Another is where employers want to monitor employees' misuse of company IT systems, such as by misusing email or overstepping permitted authorisations to steal data, maybe client lists or customer contact details, from the company. There is lack of clarity on the extent to which the law would permit an employer to undertake that type of investigation. We have also encountered instances where people have set up Facebook or LinkedIn accounts in the name of former employers and where disgruntled former employees have used social media to disparage their former employers.
How can businesses prevent offensive content on their website?
There is no clear guidance under local law as to the extent to which a business would be legally responsible for "user generated content" posted on its website or social network site by members of the public. Businesses should monitor their sites, and remove offensive content quickly if it breaches the types of parameters that one would expect. If you allow offensive user-generated content to remain on your website or social network site, there would be greater chance of the authorities concluding that you should be held responsible for it in some way.
What about content posted about a company outside of the UAE?
If someone was simply criticising your company, you could potentially seek to have the website blocked locally. The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority tends to focus on blocking content that does not conform to cultural norms of the UAE and would be less likely to block content that was simply critical of a particular business. Depending on the nature of the offending content, it might be appropriate to file a complaint with the police or to file a civil case against the person responsible and to use that as a basis for seeking to have the content removed. In a cross-border context, it can be very difficult and costly to take action.
thamid@thenational.ae
How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
DUBAI WORLD CUP RACE CARD
6.30pm Meydan Classic Trial US$100,000 (Turf) 1,400m
7.05pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Group Three $250,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
8.15pm Dubai Sprint Listed Handicap $175,000 (T) 1,200m
8.50pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group Two $450,000 (D) 1,900m
9.25pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,800m
10pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m
The National selections
6.30pm Well Of Wisdom
7.05pm Summrghand
7.40pm Laser Show
8.15pm Angel Alexander
8.50pm Benbatl
9.25pm Art Du Val
10pm: Beyond Reason
Company%20profile
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The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
The%20specs
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GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)