Iraq’s telecommunications ministry has announced its intention to revoke the recent ban on the Telegram messaging app, citing concerns related to security and the unauthorized release of sensitive information pertaining to both state institutions and the public.
Telegram is extensively utilized within Iraq for communication, news consumption, and content sharing, encompassing personal data of Iraqi individuals, such as names, addresses, and family connections.
The ministry has elucidated that the decision to rescind the prohibition was influenced by the cooperation of the platform’s owning entity, which complied with security authorities’ demands to identify the sources responsible for the unauthorized dissemination of citizens’ data.
In a further display of cooperation, the platform’s owning entity expressed their complete willingness to collaborate with pertinent authorities, as stated by the ministry’s official release.
In response to an inquiry from Reuters, a spokesperson from Telegram’s press division emphasized that the platform strictly forbids the posting of private data without user consent, assuring that such content is regularly eliminated by vigilant moderators.
The spokesperson verified the removal of multiple channels that shared personal data and affirmed that Telegram has neither been approached for nor disseminated any private user data.
Last week, the ministry had communicated its dissatisfaction, asserting that the platform’s owning entity had not adhered to their request to shut down sources that were leaking data from official state institutions and citizens’ private information.
