Iraq’s Ministry of Communications announced on Sunday, August 6, 2023, that the country was blocking Telegram. The ministry gave “national security” and the safety of citizens’ personal data as its reasons.
It said the order came “based on directives of higher authorities.” According to the ministry, the authorities had asked Telegram several times to shut down channels leaking documents from state institutions and personal data of Iraqi users, and had never heard back from the platform.
A statement from the ministry said it “reaffirms its respect for the people’s rights to freedom of expression and communication without violating the security of the state and its institutions.” It added that it was confident citizens would understand the measure.
Complaints before the ban
The complaints about Telegram were not new. In late July, the Digital Media Center, an Iraqi non-governmental group that monitors digital media, criticized the platform’s “poor” technical support. It said Telegram ignored reports filed by Iraqi users and had become a “hotspot for digital crime” in the country. The group said it had recorded dozens of channels that specialize in electronic extortion and had leaked the personal data of thousands of Iraqi users. Telegram, it said, “continuously ignores requests to delete the violating channels.”
Reaction
Telegram is very popular in Iraq. It is also the main platform for many of the country’s armed factions and militias.
Sabreen news, a channel affiliated with Iranian-backed factions of the Popular Mobilization Forces, attacked the decision. It called the ban “silencing” and said it amounted to “fighting press freedom.”
Human rights watchdogs often criticize Iraqi authorities over press freedom. Reporters Without Borders ranked Iraq 172nd of 180 countries in its 2022 World Press Freedom Index, down from 163rd in 2021.
