AlHudood’s website has been reported as inaccessible in several Iraqi governorates across various internet networks, as revealed by a test conducted via the OONI website on February 18. The reasons behind this block remain unknown. However, the website continues to operate in the governorates of the Kurdistan region.
To learn more about the issue, SMEX contacted the Iraqi Network for Social Media (INSM), an organization dedicated to safeguarding and documenting instances of digital rights infringements in Iraq. Asia Abdel Karim, INSM’s project coordinator and researcher specializing in community and digital rights, told SMEX that the website is indeed blocked on several networks in Iraq, including Asiacell and EarthLink, Iraq’s largest home internet provider.
INSM then reached out to the CEO of Earthlink, who expressed not knowing that the website had been blocked or the nature of its published content. He also mentioned not receiving official communication from the Iraqi Ministry of Telecommunications, the authority often responsible for website blocking.
However, following an investigation into the matter, the CEO confirmed in an interview with INSM that “The site is indeed blocked, presumably based on an official request.” Moreover, after familiarizing himself with AlHudood and its editorial stance, the executive director of Earthlink speculated that the reason behind the blocking might be the website’s perceived “political orientation, even if it is satirical.”
SMEX contacted AlHudood to ascertain whether it had received an official notification regarding the website’s blocking. The administrators confirmed that they had not received any such notification and remained unaware of the responsible party and when the website was first blocked.
According to a source from AlHudood, this uncertainty stems from the website’s current reliance on rudimentary tools to monitor site visits and determine the last time users from Iraq accessed it. However, the accuracy of this information is questionable because users might be employing virtual private networks (VPNs) and other methods to access the site, as noted in the statement provided by AlHudood to SMEX.
According to AlHudood’s source, the website has published materials critiquing the Iraqi authorities, widespread corruption within the state, foreign interference in Iraqi affairs, and the conduct of Iraqi armed factions. While these materials may be reasons prompting the Ministry of Telecommunications to block the site, the specific content responsible for the blocking cannot be determined due to the unknown start date of the restriction.
On a technical note, an information auditor and member of the INSM network highlighted the challenge of determining whether the blocking is due to a technical error or the enforcement of a government decision.
In an interview with SMEX, he disclosed that he had contacted several officials within Iraqi telecommunications networks, who all denied knowledge of the blocking. They suggested it might have been implemented at the country’s main internet access point, as these telecommunications companies have not individually restricted any website. This aligns with the continued accessibility of the website in the governorates of the Kurdistan region of Iraq.
This isn’t the first time AlHudood has been blocked within our region. On July 5, Jordanian authorities blocked the site without providing clear justifications, and before that, it had also been blocked in the United Arab Emirates.
In response to these actions, Mohamad Najem, Executive Director at SMEX, asserts, “Blocking websites equates to restricting information flow, constituting a significant form of digital repression. We cannot condone blocking simply because certain individuals perceive dissent, satire, and criticism as unacceptable or out of context.”
“What sets the online sphere apart is its diversity and divergence, and safeguarding these two traits is imperative for nurturing safer digital environments,” Najem added.
Efforts to curtail freedom of expression are mounting through various means deployed by governments against users, organizations, and institutions. These include enacting cybercrime laws that serve hidden agendas distinct from their stated objectives, blocking websites, and stripping journalists of their immunity from state summoning and arrest.
