The government of Iraq ordered a nationwide internet blackout to prevent students from cheating during the their exams. The extreme measure shows how easy internet access can be disrupted when it is controlled by a single entity.
The government of Iraq ordered a nationwide internet blackout to prevent students from cheating during the their exams. The extreme measure shows how easy internet access can be disrupted when it is controlled by a single entity.
On May 16 the blockade was in effect for the third day in a row, lasting 3 hours during the mornings as national exams took place. The disappearance of Iraq from the global internet was reported Dyn Research, a company that monitors internet performance worldwide.
A leaked email from an Iraqi Internet Service Provider (ISP) further confirms the controlled shutdown. The ISP warns its customers that "all the internet connectivity will be turned off in all regions of Iraq" on instructions of the Ministry of Communications and ITPC. The email was leaked to Social Media Exchange (SMEX), a Lebanese nonprofit for digital human rights.
