BAGHDAD – Iraq’s communications ministry has ordered Internet and mobile companies to block social media websites and applications as militants drive towards Baghdad, technicians from two major service providers said Friday.
The technicians said video-sharing site YouTube, social network site Facebook, micro-blogging site Twitter and communications applications WhatsApp and Viber were all affected.
The ministry was not immediately reachable for comment.
The move appeared to be linked to a major militant offensive, spearheaded by jihadist group the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, which has overrun all of one province and chunks of three more since Monday.
Militants and their supporters have been active on sites including Twitter during the offensive.

More from AFP
- Hackers Issue ‘Ultimatum’ Over Payroll Data Breach
- Amazon Settles Ring Customer Spying Complaint
- France Punishes Clearview AI For Failing To Pay Fine
- Twitter Celebrity Hacker Pleads Guilty in US
- Pro-Russian Hackers Claim Downing of French Senate Website
- Microsoft Expands AI Access to Public
- Hackers Promise AI, Install Malware Instead
- Australian Finance Company Refuses Hackers’ Ransom Demand
Latest News
- In Other News: AI Regulation, Layoffs, US Aerospace Attacks, Post-Quantum Encryption
- Blackpoint Raises $190 Million to Help MSPs Combat Cyber Threats
- Google Introduces SAIF, a Framework for Secure AI Development and Use
- ‘Asylum Ambuscade’ Group Hit Thousands in Cybercrime, Espionage Campaigns
- Evidence Suggests Ransomware Group Knew About MOVEit Zero-Day Since 2021
- SaaS Ransomware Attack Hit Sharepoint Online Without Using a Compromised Endpoint
- Google Cloud Now Offering $1 Million Cryptomining Protection
- Democrats and Republicans Are Skeptical of US Spying Practices, an AP-NORC Poll Finds
