Between December 8 and 10, 2025, the United Arab Emirates hosted the BRIDGE Summit in Abu Dhabi. According to the event’s official website, the BRIDGE Summit adopts a pioneering hybrid format that combines both conference and exhibition elements, encompassing the full scope of the media and entertainment ecosystem. The event brings together thousands of creators, communicators, brands, industry leaders, and key decision-makers, fostering collaboration and strategic alignment toward a more interconnected and sustainable future.
Yet this celebration of creativity, communication, and digital innovation takes place within a national context where social media expression remains tightly regulated, raising questions about the gap between the Summit’s messaging and the realities of online freedom in the UAE. Indeed, this tension is reflected in international assessments, with the UAE labelled “Not Free” by Freedom House and placed 164th out of 180 countries by Reporters Without Borders in 2025. Media use in the UAE remains closely tied to governmental oversight, as the majority of Emirati outlets are owned by press groups with direct links to the state.
Social media use, in particular, is heavily regulated through a complex legal framework that includes the UAE’s Cybercrime Law and Penal Code. Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021 criminalises online content deemed to insult the state, its rulers, or symbols, as well as posts considered harmful to public order, national unity, or moral values. Vaguely defined offences such as spreading “false information,” damaging the country’s reputation, or provoking public unrest give authorities broad discretionary power to monitor, censor, and punish online expression. In practice, this has created a climate of self-censorship among users, where social media platforms function less as spaces for free exchange and more as closely surveilled extensions of state control.
This system of digital control extends beyond legislation. In December 2019, The New York Times revealed that the Emirati messaging application ToTok functioned as a tool for mass surveillance. Marketed as a secure and free alternative to popular messaging platforms, the app enabled authorities to exploit data that millions of users had unknowingly consented to share through its privacy terms.
Beyond domestic applications, the Emirati government has also been linked to the use of advanced spyware technologies such as Pegasus, alongside other intelligence-based surveillance systems. These tools, reportedly deployed to monitor activists, journalists, and political dissidents, further illustrate the extent to which digital technologies in the UAE are leveraged for state surveillance rather than the protection of free expression.
Ironically, while the BRIDGE Summit promotes innovation in media and AI, the broader use of AI surveillance in the UAE raises serious human rights concerns. These technologies allow authorities to continuously monitor individuals in public spaces, undermining privacy and fostering self-censorship. When combined with strict cybercrime laws, AI and digital surveillance can severely restrict freedom of expression and association, as demonstrated by cases like the imprisonment of human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor, who was targeted through Pegasus spyware.
The contrast between the Summit’s celebration of digital creativity and the country’s extensive surveillance practices highlights a critical tension: technological advancement in the UAE is not always accompanied by protections for fundamental rights, raising urgent questions about the human cost of innovation.