The rapid expansion of online advertising poses growing challenges, particularly where advertiser identity, content accuracy and product claims are not adequately verified, experts in economics, law, technology and digital marketing have warned.
They noted that misleading promotions, exaggerated claims and fraudulent practices can undermine consumer confidence, distort competition and ultimately affect the growth of legitimate businesses.
The scale of Qatar’s digital environment makes the issue increasingly significant.
According to DataReportal’s Digital 2026: Qatar report, the country had about 3.1mn Internet users at the end of 2025, representing 99% Internet penetration, while social media user identities reached around 2.95mn, equivalent to 94.3% of the population.
Qatar also recorded 4.75mn cellular mobile connections, equal to 152% of its population, indicating that mobile and social platforms have become embedded in everyday economic activity.
Accordingly, experts argue that regulating digital marketing should not be viewed as an attempt to restrict commercial activity or innovation.
Rather, effective regulation can strengthen transparency, protect consumers and create a more reliable digital marketplace in which legitimate businesses can compete on quality, service and value.
They stressed that a combination of clear legal requirements, effective technological controls, responsible advertising practices and greater consumer awareness is needed to strike a balance between freedom of promotion and the public interest.
Technology expert Mohamed al-Saqtari said modern technologies and social media platforms have played an important role in expanding the reach of digital marketing.
Still, he said, this expansion has not been accompanied by sufficient mechanisms to guarantee the credibility of advertisements and protect consumers.
Al-Saqtari explained that individuals can sometimes publish advertisements on social media without adequate verification of their identity or authorisation from the owner of the advertised product or service.
He noted that many platforms currently rely heavily on user reports to identify violations before taking action such as removing or blocking content.
Al-Saqtari considered such a system to be insufficient on its own to establish the accuracy or credibility of advertisements.
He added that artificial intelligence (AI), particularly AI agent systems, could provide an additional layer of protection by verifying the identity of advertisers, checking whether they have the legal authority to promote a product or service and examining links attached to advertisements for malicious software or fraudulent websites.
However, al-Saqtari stressed that such systems require careful training to distinguish among different types of content, assess their reliability, and respond appropriately to advertising requests, whether originating domestically or through external agents.
Economic expert Dr Bader bin Dalham al-Fahheid al-Hajri said that digital marketing has become an integral component of the modern economic system because of its direct influence on consumer behaviour and supply-and-demand dynamics.
“The danger of this type of marketing does not lie in its digital nature, but rather in the absence of controls governing it,” he said, noting that some platforms provide broad space for practices that may amount to deception, including exaggerating product characteristics, manipulating prices or using misleading advertisements that influence purchasing decisions.
Dr al-Hajri warned that such practices extend beyond individual consumer losses.
They can weaken confidence in digital markets, disadvantage compliant companies and create market distortions that ultimately restrict genuine economic growth.
When consumers feel unsafe or uncertain about online transactions, Dr al-Hajri continued, they may reduce their spending or return to traditional purchasing channels, undermining the very foundations on which the digital economy depends.
He stressed that stronger controls could instead promote economic stability by requiring greater transparency and clearer disclosure of the nature of advertising content, including whether material is sponsored or promotional, while ensuring that information presented about goods and services is accurate.
“Regulation is not an obstacle to commercial activity; on the contrary, it can be a factor in attracting investment,” Dr al-Hajri said, arguing that a trustworthy digital environment encourages innovation and supports the growth of digital enterprises.
However, the existing consumer-protection framework already establishes several of these principles.
Law No. 8 of 2008 on Consumer Protection guarantees consumers the right to obtain correct information about goods and services, while requiring suppliers to provide price information and dated invoices.
The law also prohibits the sale, display, provision, promotion or advertising of adulterated or expired goods.
Maryam al-Dosari, owner of a tailoring business, said that digital marketing has fundamentally changed how small and medium-sized enterprises manage their businesses and reach customers.
She noted that online marketing allows entrepreneurs to reach wider audiences more quickly and at lower cost than many traditional marketing methods.
Al-Dosari said that digital platforms also enable businesses to target potential customers based on interests and purchasing behaviour, and to use digital analytics to understand customer responses.
This immediate feedback, she added, can help entrepreneurs improve products and services and make more informed business decisions.
However, al-Dosari identified misleading advertising as one of the most serious challenges facing legitimate businesses.
Such practices undermine trust between consumers and traders and create unfair competition for companies that invest in product quality and honest communication.
She stressed that credibility, product quality and clarity of information are fundamental to the success of any business because trust encourages customers to return and maintain a long-term relationship with a brand.
Clear digital marketing controls, al-Dosari added, would benefit serious entrepreneurs by discouraging unethical practices, strengthening consumer confidence, and creating a competitive environment based on quality and compliance.
Lawyer Khalid al-Harami meanwhile said that Qatar already has a legal framework governing advertising and marketing and protecting consumers, including activity conducted through digital channels, even where specific legislation does not always use the term “digital marketing”.
He explained that consumer-protection legislation establishes a fundamental prohibition against selling, displaying, promoting or advertising adulterated or defective goods and provides penalties for violations.
The legal framework, al-Harami said, applies to advertising regardless of whether it is delivered through traditional media or digital platforms.
The lawyer also pointed to Qatar’s Cybercrime Law, Law No. 14 of 2014, which criminalises a range of fraudulent activities committed through information networks and technology.
For example, he said, Article 11 provides for imprisonment of up to three years and/or a fine of up to QR100,000 for specified forms of identity impersonation and electronic fraud.
Al-Harami noted that the regulatory framework extends to specialised sectors such as real estate.
Qatar’s Real Estate Development Law, the expert said, requires specific information to appear in advertisements for off-plan property sales, including the developer’s commercial name and headquarters, project location and description, unit specifications, prices, payment arrangements and other prescribed details.
“Many disputes, from my practical experience, begin with inaccurate advertisements or unrealistic promises,” al-Harami said, advising consumers and contracting parties to consult qualified legal and professional specialists before making significant purchases, verify the credibility of advertisers and retain copies of advertisements, conversations and invoices.