Last week, the Internet Society Pulse team received news that the Iraq Ministry of Communication has considered requests to not shut down access to the Internet during the upcoming general exams.
This is a positive result given Iraq’s long and unopposed history of unjustifiably shutting down the Internet during exam periods to curb cheating, This news is the result of a lot of hard work by advocates such as the Iraqi Network for Social Media (INSM).
At Internet Society Pulse, we repeatedly discuss the issue of shutting down access to the Internet during exams and how it hinders digital development and online rights.
We call on the Iraqi government to continue to maintain its current stance to keep the Internet on during the upcoming exams and beyond. We also call on other countries in the region considering shutdowns or content blocking to review the negative implications before making the decision to limit access to millions of people at a time.
Join the effort to demand authorities guarantee open access to the Internet at all times. Middle Eastern governments must hear our call: #NoExamShutdown!
Learn more about Exam shutdowns in 2023
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