Iraq: Sixth Internet Shutdown for Exams

Iraq

13 June, 2023 01:00 - 05:00 (4 hours)

Local Impact

Iraq has again experienced an exam-related Internet shutdown, the sixth such scheduled shutdown by the government since 1 June 2023.

As we have repeatedly written about here on Pulse, Internet shutdowns cause great harm to a country’s economy and society and are in our opinion NOT the appropriate mechanism to cope with potential exam cheating.

Data and Analysis

Cloudflare Radar measurements show the shutdown beginning around 01:00 UTC and resuming around 05:00 UTC on Tuesday, 13 June 2023.

Chart from Cloudflare Radar showing the Internet shutdown in Iraq on 13 June.

IODA measurements show the similar drop.

Chart from IODA showing measurements of Internet connectivity and the drop during the shutdown period.

Google’s Transparency Report also shows the near-total drop in web searches from Iraq.

Internet Shutdowns

Iraq