Iraq Lifts Ban on Telegram after Responding to Security Requirements

The Iraqi Ministry of Communications announced, on Saturday, the lifting of the ban on the Telegram application, days after it was banned.

The ministry stated in a press statement: “We draw the attention of  citizens that we will lift the ban on the Telegram application in Iraq, starting Sunday, based on the directives of the Prime Minister, after the app responded to the requirements of the security authorities by detecting the parties that leaked citizens’ data and expressing its full readiness to communicate with the competent authorities."

She added, "In this regard, we affirm that we do not stand against freedom of expression, but rather stress the importance of the commitment of companies that own social networking applications to respect the country's laws, security, and user data."

Yesterday, Friday, an Iraqi government source revealed to RT that officials of Telegram had started cooperating with the Iraqi government regarding leaks and information security.

It is noteworthy that the Iraqi government banned the Telegram application a few days ago because of what it called "its impact on national security."