Iraq blocks Telegram due to abuse of personal data
The Iraqi Ministry of Communications has blocked the Telegram messenger, allegedly for national security reasons and to preserve the integrity of users’ personal data. The country’s authorities believe that the app is processing data incorrectly, Reuters reports.
Telegram is widely used in Iraq for messaging, as a source of news and for file sharing. Some Telegram channels contain a large amount of personal data, including the names, addresses, and family ties of Iraqis.
The ministry said it had demanded that the app shut down “platforms that leak data from official government agencies and personal data of citizens, but the company did not respond to any of the requests.”
Internet monitoring company NetBlocks confirms the restriction of the Telegram platform in most of Iraq, except for the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan.
⚠️ Confirmed: Metrics show messaging platform Telegram has been restricted across much of #Iraq, excluding operators in the autonomous Kurdistan region; the incident follows an order from the Ministry of Communications over the posting of leaked private data.
📰 Report:… pic.twitter.com/LXGgT4Qvta
– NetBlocks (@netblocks) August 6, 2023
NetBlocks confirms Telegram restrictions in most of Iraq
On Sunday, August 6, Telegram was unavailable to leading providers Zain and Earthlink, but remained available to Kurdish operators Kurdistan Net and Korek Telecom.
NetBlocks immediately advised me to use a VPN to circumvent government censorship. This is how the problem of restrictions was circumvented in April 2023, when the Brazilian authorities tried to ban Telegram because of the refusal to provide user data to the authorities.
What’s happening to Telegram and Internet access in Iraq
Recently, Iraq has been in the spotlight for its prolonged shutdown of Internet access in an effort to curb cheating on national exams. The country also has a history of internet shutdowns and restrictions during political crises and public protests, which have sometimes concealed casualty figures and reports of alleged human rights abuses.
