National shutdown
The Iraqi Government ordered Internet services to be suspended on the morning of 20 May 2026 between 6:00 and 7:30 local time (+3 UTC). This is the first of a series of expected shutdowns during the public school exams. This series covers Iraq Middle School Exam Schedule, first round, which runs until the 14th of June.
- Total Duration 1 hour
Iraq
- Population
- 46,042,015
Freedom House rates Internet freedom as Partly Free
Related documentation
Local media reported that the Ministry of Communications in Iraq announced on 19 May that they will suspend access to the Internet during the examinations. The shutdown is expected to run for an hour and a half on exam days, between 6:00 and 7:30 local time (+3 UTC).
In a video message, Minister Mustafa Sanad, Iraq minister of communication, confirmed the shutdown, and vowed to work on developing a digital system that would eliminate the need for centralized exam distribution and thus would eliminate the need to shutdown down access to the Internet on exam days.
Other supporting information
Cloudflare Radar and IODA data showing the shutdown affecting Iraqi networks.
