‘Posting crash videos a crime’

The accident took place at 2:00pm. Social media users have been encouraging people to donate blood at the Khoula Hospital as the victim is still in a serious condition.

Tawfiq Al Lawati, member of Majlis Al Shura, said this is not the first time an accident has taken place on this very road due to lack of safety.

“This concern was discussed three years ago and we addressed Muscat Municipality to build a barrier on the pavement between the roads in order to ensure safety of motorists. But nothing was done in this regard,” said Al Lawati.

He said that sharing this kind of content across social media is a crime as it can be insensitive and harmful to the victim’s family and relatives.

Instead the footage should only be used by police to identify the reasons behind the accident.

Mark Pudwell, business development and training manager at Competence HR, said “The first question that people need to ask themselves is a moral one: Should I be taking photographs (or videos) of people in extreme distress and then make them public?”

Reiterating that it was inherently wrong for anyone to do so, Pudwell said, “It is both distressing for those injured and for the families of those that have died under such awful circumstances.”

“Everyone is acutely aware that sensationalism can reap financial rewards, but should that be at the expense of someone else’s dignity and the right to privacy?” he asked.

Qatar’s Cabinet had recently approved a draft law to punish those sharing accident photos or residents or citizens, who post gruesome videos of car accident victims online.

As per the draft law, such persons could be penalised under Qatar’s privacy laws.