Internet & Online Safety · Iraq
Online safety & content laws in Iraq (2026)
Iraq shaded by its internet & online safety status
Iraq's primary online-content regulator is the Communications and Media Commission (CMC), which in February 2025 issued binding Framework Regulations for Digital Platforms and Services imposing licensing, registration, content-moderation obligations, and Platform Liaison Officer requirements on domestic and foreign platforms serving Iraqi users. No standalone comprehensive online-safety law comparable to the EU DSA or UK OSA exists; enforcement relies on the CMC's authority under Law No. 65/2004, government-directed website blocks, periodic internet shutdowns, and cooperation requests to major platforms. A long-pending draft cybercrime law remains unenacted as of 2025, and there is no data-protection or age-verification framework in force.
Key points
On 17 February 2025 the CMC formally issued the Framework Regulations for Digital Platforms and Services, covering social media, video-sharing, e-commerce, fintech, and AI platforms. Platforms must obtain a licence or register, implement content moderation, provide a take-down procedure, and appoint a Platform Liaison Officer to liaise with the CMC.
Regulations issued by the CMC in March 2025 require content creators to register with the government and pay annual fees of up to 1 million Iraqi dinars (~USD 760) scaled to follower count, and mandate compliance with vague standards such as 'respect for national sovereignty' and 'support for the state's struggle against terrorism'.
Iraq ranked among the highest countries for official government requests to social media platforms; TikTok removed or geo-blocked 410 accounts/pieces of content following 454 Iraqi government requests in H2 2024. The CMC also engaged Meta to block accounts allegedly promoting terrorism, hate speech, and content contrary to public morals, raising Article 19 and SMEX concerns about arbitrary censorship.
The Ministry of Communications blocked IMDb and SoundCloud in November 2024 on 'immorality' grounds, blocked pornographic sites, and announced bans on gaming platforms (PUBG, Fortnite, Roblox) in October 2025. Recurring two-hour internet shutdowns during national exam periods were implemented in May–June 2024 and May–June 2025.
A draft cybercrime law has been under parliamentary deliberation for several years but remains unenacted as of 2025. Civil-society organisations including SMEX and Amnesty International have criticised it for broadly criminalising online criticism of public officials and enabling surveillance, which has contributed to its delay.
Iraq has no dedicated data-protection law and no statutory age-verification regime. Authorities fall back on Article 438 of the 1969 Penal Code to prosecute publication of private images or unauthorised access to personal communications, with a maximum sentence of one year. Children's online safety is an identified policy gap acknowledged at the Second Iraqi Digital Space Forum (December 2025).
Iraq - other topics
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