Access to the internet in Iraq was disconnected during exam periods to prevent students from cheating.
The websites NetBlocks.org and Cloudflare show that access to the internet was disconnected again across Iraq, except for the northern region.
This is a planned step by the authorities, intended to prevent leaks and cheating during school exams.
However, despite the declared intention, the impact of this disconnection extends far beyond the education system alone. Millions of users – citizens, businesses, organizations, and institutions – are affected by this move, as they remain disconnected from the digital world in an era where internet connectivity is a basic necessity.
This is not the first time this has happened in Iraq, but apparently, desperation among Iraqi leaders regarding the amount of cheating in their exams led to this step.
Steps like this have become routine during exam seasons in various countries in recent years, but the trend in Iraq is particularly prominent – and sometimes lasts hours or even days.
Another aspect of the blockage could be Operation Rising Lion. Iranian authorities have blocked internet to defend against Israeli cyberattacks and prevent the spread of information on damage from Israeli strikes. The Iraqi decision could be an additional attempt to prevent Iranians spreading the word on networks from the neighboring country.
