´óÏó´«Ã½

Swearing at someone via WhatsApp in the UAE could land you with a $68,000 (£45,000) fine, under a new law.

Those living in the country could also face jail, and foreigners deportation.

The new law was brought to light when the UAE's supreme court ordered the retrial of a man fined $800 for the offence, arguing the fine was too lenient.

The man was convicted of swearing at a colleague using the smartphone instant messaging app.

The exact words used by the defendant were not revealed by the court, which simply said that they were "insulting", according to .

The claimant told police the defendant also threatened to harm him, though the defendant was cleared of the charge.

The case against the man was brought under a cyber crime law introduced in the UAE in October last year that made online verbal insult a criminal offence.

Authorities in the UAE last month warned that sending a middle finger emoji symbol would also be punishable under the law.