Dubai’s private schools have introduced stricter rules requiring parents to obtain consent before filming or photographing students, a move that strengthens privacy protections under UAE law. A circular distributed to families explicitly instructs them, and any visitors, to refrain from capturing images or videos of other students or staff unless they have received appropriate consent. The policy applies across all school zones, including classrooms, playgrounds, and the areas near drop-off points.
Schools emphasize that even photographs of a child’s own parent may inadvertently include others in the background, creating privacy risks if those images are later posted online. The UAE’s Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 on the Protection of Personal Data mandates that personal data can only be processed with explicit consent, except in narrowly defined circumstances. Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has classified photography as a safeguarding issue, particularly when involving minors or sensitive settings.
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While parents remain permitted to photograph their own children, they must adhere to consent-based protocols established by each school. Special care is required during events like concerts or sports days, where large groups of students are present. Attendance at such gatherings does not grant automatic permission for images to be shared publicly, the schools note.
The updated guidelines extend existing school policies on official photography to cover parental use of personal devices. Although the new rules do not prohibit photography entirely, they make clear that distributing images without consent could breach both school regulations and UAE data protection laws. This development comes as concerns grow over the unauthorized sharing of school photos through social media and messaging platforms, often beyond their intended audience.
