Iraq’s Ministry of Communications announced on Sunday that it had imposed a block on the messaging application Telegram, citing national security concerns. The underlying reason for this restriction, according to the ministry, was to protect users’ personal data, which it claimed the app had mishandled. The statement claimed that this decision emanated from guidance from “higher authorities” on matters of national security. The ministry went further to assert that the messaging platform had violated safety regulations in a manner that contravenes the law.
The ministry blamed Telegram for neglecting to heed cooperation requests. According to their statement, “The state institutions, related, have repeatedly asked, from the company responsible for managing the mentioned application, to cooperate in closing the platforms that cause the leakage of data from official state institutions and personal data of citizens, which poses a danger to the Iraqi national security and the social ladder, but the company did not respond or react to any of those requests.”
In conclusion, the Ministry of Communications maintained that they honour citizens’ rights of freedom to express themselves and communicate, but they also have a responsibility not to compromise state security. They expressed “confidence in citizens’ understanding of this action.”
Telegram, an encrypted instant-messaging app, is widely used in the region and has been a tool for politicians, government ministries, and a source of news content. Moreover, the app has allegedly been used by paramilitant groups to publicize their attacks, including those on military bases hosting coalition troops engaged in combat with ISIS remnants as pointed out in a recent story on The National News.
This action seems to be in line with a trend of limiting freedom of speech in digital spaces in the region. In March, several international organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, issued a Joint Statement regarding free speech in Iraq. They argued: “Under international human rights law, including Article 19 of the ICCPR which Iraq has ratified, the right to freedom of expression is recognized as a fundamental human right… Iraqi authorities have an abhorrent track record of repressing the rights to freedom of speech and freedom of peaceful assembly… Iraqis should be free to express themselves on social media platforms… These are behaviors protected by international human rights law, which Iraqi authorities are obligated to uphold.”
For more details on the story, visit this blog post originally published on JURIST – News.