Over 20 people arrested in Dubai, including a British man, for posting videos of drone strikes

[JaneFondue]

Over 20 people arrested in Dubai for sharing drone strike videos on social media | The Standard
Says it all.

I hope they've learned a lesson from being arrested - that they live in a dictatorship

I resent the comparison to Singapore. In dubai its illegal to criticise the rulers. If you look at singapore social media, many people criticise the government and they dont get arrested. The one guy who was sued successfully, it only stood up in court because he claimed the prime minister was embezzling pension funds.

Saying lawrence wong only prioritizes the elites and he should have children to set an example to the nation before he starts ponticating on the low birth rate isn't going to land anyone in prison. Try that in dubai...

I was thinking it’s the modern day equivalent of loose lips, sink ships?

All of the Gps in the region has also been scrambled.

@iamnotalemon yes.

all of the Gps in the region has also been scrambled

what does that mean

I've never forgiven her for discontinuing 'french lime blossom'. (So shallow I could be an influencer?)

It's not the modern equivalent of ' loose lips sink ships" or national security because apparently some influencers being paid to post normal content. It's not just people staying mum because they are sensible, like in the Blitz.

metro.co.uk/2026/03/12/man-detained-dubai-warns-horrific-fate-influencers-posting-war-27377729/

It is a model for stability in many regions, especially the middle east, but not one I particularly yearn to live under. I wonder at the thought processes of those in the UK who abuse their freedoms then complain when they're restricted. Not just a case of pick your battles but consider how you 'fight' them (as any parent knows). Though these days cynical old gimmers are turning round and trying to see who started the fight and why.

GPS - global positioning? Much more low tech in ww2, the UK removed road signs.

@JaneFondue have any influencers said they’ve been paid or is that the wishful thinking of people who just won’t have it that life goes on as normal and a persons day has more restrictions on it due to Ramadan than the current situation?

Why would any influencer in Dubai now reveal that they have been paid? 😁

@quantumbutterfly i thought that’s what it meant but I’m a technical dinosaur and I’m wondering why we can still use our satnavs.

I did think what the on reading about this so it’s good to get another reason than my initial view.

Not my area of expertise. Probably more of a challenge to lose it in the air than on the ground I would imagine.
There's some scuttlebutt about access to drone controls.

So if no one has admitted it and so many of the so called influencers have apparently left the country rather than stay and earn a wage from the government, just where is the proof they have been paid?

Again, I’m pretty sure it’s all wishful thinking in the part of people like yourself who have very vivid imaginations and look at Dubai with a very jaundiced eye.

And let’s pretend people have been paid - it’s called propaganda and has been used by every country in history who’s ever fought a war.

Is Ukraine providing visas to influencers? Think not.
I think this goes way beyond usual propaganda.

@quantumbutterfly I’ve just googled it and yes it’s as you say.

Each time you post you sound increasingly more desperate to prove your point and I’m not going to be going down your ridiculous rabbit hole with you. Fact. There is no proof influencers are being paid by the Dubai government, and no the jaundiced eye of people like yourself doesn’t count. Fact - life goes on as normal and Ramadan is causing more restrictions than the current situation is.

I dont know where you live but if it’s nice day I’d get out of your echo chamber for a wee while and go for a walk.

Here's a story on Dubai's creator economy and how they were encouraged via the state owned Creator HQ. https://www.codastory.com/disinformation/the-influencer-bubble-can-content-creators-continue-to-airbrush-the-gulf/

Do I think everyone in Dubai is an influencer? No. Am I attacking anyone who lives and works there? No. Do I think you are dodging missiles daily. No.

But I do think the entire influencer story- Post about Dubai! No, not now! Ok just post bikini pix again- is fascinating.

I think it's odd that people are whitewashing this and saying it's all completely normal, move along nothing to see.

Yup.

Looks like GPS is (or was) jammed or accuracy degraded in the region, probably in turn to try and reduce the accuracy of ordnance such as the Shahed drones.

Anyone wondering about how the airliners that are flying in the region are coping the answer is there are alternative methods of navigating that allow them to operate with enough accuracy to do what they need to do.

@JaneFondue I think it’s glaringly obvious you don’t realise every citizen and resident of any Gulf country is currently told very clearly not to
discuss this situation on social media/spread rumours/untruths. So it’s safe to say it’s not just so called influencers who are confused about what they can post - it’s all of us. It’s important people know life is going as normal 99.9% of the time and if it helps people in the wider world know this, especially if they have family in the region, then that’s what I’ll tell people until it’s not true. Anyway, I have no room in my life for influencers and I actually feel quite shabby discussing them here so this really is the last from me on the subject.

one last thing though - do you realise how much harm people like you do with your beliefs on the subject? I’ve lived through 2 Gulf wars here, civil unrest, being evacuated from a base once when the neighbours got a bit frisky yet it’s only now that I have my Uk family saying - but what we’re hearing here and reading on social media has us really scared. And that’s on people like you who insist on pedalling lies and downright nonsense.

And in case you didn’t see it - that article you posted even said there’s no proof influencers have been paid to tell lies about the current situation.

Can you say where I have lied? The article mentions state support from visas to training and promoting influencers.

I am not sure how my post here has scared and upset you, when there are many other far more disturbing posts about casualties. There are even posts attacking people who live and work in Dubai, arguing they should not be evacuated or denied the NHS. I have said none of that.

But as always, there is the report button if you think I am spreading disinformation or hate. Or best stay away from threads discussing Dubai if it upsets you.

Tourism is a massive income stream for most countries, and each promotes it's cultural delights in various ways. Running a country is quite a business. It would be odd if Dubai weren't promoting itself in its own inimitable way.

I think this is true, countries market themselves for tourism and influencers are modern day marketeers.

I’m not sure how much of the op is due to that or @notimagainpost on not revealing military info.

@JaneFondue
I am not sure how my post here has scared and upset you

Your posts haven’t scared me or upset me and I think you being under the impression you have is a good indication of how confused you are. In fact if it wasn’t such a serious situation I’d laugh at what you’ve said. But that aside - another reason why you haven’t scared me or upset me is because you quite simply don’t have that power.

But as always, there is the report button if you think I am spreading disinformation or hate. Or best stay away from threads discussing Dubai if it upsets you

Why would I do that? I’d rather your claims (as well as those of others who share your views) are seen and challenged by people who know what they’re talking about.

And stay away from threads discussing Dubai if it upsets me? They don’t upset me but I can see why you might like to think they do. In fact as I said earlier - I quite often want to laugh at things I’m reading here but it’s really not appropriate right now.

I am definitely confused by your quite strong response to what I thought was quite an innocuous thread. But as you say, I will post and people can challenge, if they think this is just normal stuff. We can agree to disagree.