Iraqi Ministry of Communications Bans Telegram Messaging App Citing National Security Concerns
On Sunday, the Iraqi Ministry of Communications announced that it has banned the instant messaging application Telegram due to concerns regarding national security and to safeguard the personal data of users, which the application mishandled.
As in many Arab countries and around the world, Telegram is widely used in Iraq for messaging, as well as a source of news and content sharing.
Some channels on the platform contain significant amounts of personal data of users, including names, addresses, and family links of Iraqis.
In a statement, the ministry stated, “The Ministry of Communications draws the attention of Internet users in Iraq to the fact that the blocking of the Telegram application comes as per the directives of higher authorities, based on specific criteria related to national security, and in order to protect the personal data of citizens, which the mentioned application mishandled in violation of the law.”
The statement further clarified, “State institutions concerned have repeatedly requested the management of the mentioned application to cooperate in shutting down platforms that cause leaks of official state data and citizen’s personal data, posing a threat to Iraq’s national security and social peace.
However, the company has not responded or engaged with any of those requests,” The Ministry of Communications affirmed its respect for citizen’s rights to freedom of expression and communication, without compromising the security of the state and its institutions, and expressed confidence in the citizens’ understanding of this measure.
Since Saturday evening, Telegram suddenly stopped working throughout Iraq, causing shock in the public sphere and raising questions about the reason for the outage, according to Baghdad Today news agency.
Non-governmental experts were quoted by the agency stating, “In recent months, Telegram witnessed a significant wave of extortion, leaks, and defamation by some channels that the government failed to access their data,” without providing further details on whether the leaks were related to political or social matters.
It’s worth noting that Telegram prides itself on its strong commitment to user privacy, as all messages sent through the platform are encrypted with end-to-end encryption.
Users can exchange messages or communicate without revealing their phone numbers, unlike WhatsApp, making Telegram the preferred destination for those seeking communication without the need to disclose their phone numbers.
Additionally, Telegram has preceded WhatsApp and other messaging apps by offering several essential features, including channels and more.
