Iraq internet cuts during exams cost economy $1.4 million daily, rights center says

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A rights group said Iraq's practice of shutting down the internet during nationwide exams constitutes a digital rights violation and is causing substantial economic losses across multiple sectors. The Strategic Center for Human Rights, in a report released Thursday, cited international studies estimating that each day of internet disruption costs the Iraqi economy roughly $1.4 million in direct losses, with additional damage to foreign investment and investor confidence in the digital environment. The center said the shutdowns, imposed during exam periods, halt digital transactions and disrupt electronic and financial services, with projected annual losses reaching into the hundreds of millions of dollars. It said investment, trade, banking, healthcare, transportation, delivery and e-commerce companies, as well as remote workers and startup owners, are directly affected, weakening productivity and broader economic activity. The report also said repeated internet cuts restrict access to information and communication, undermining freedoms guaranteed under the Iraqi constitution and international human rights instruments. The center called on the prime minister to end the policy of cutting internet services during exams and to adopt modern alternatives such as smart monitoring systems, digital cameras and electronic cheating-detection technology. According to the center, the Ministry of Communications has previously imposed internet shutdowns between 6:00 and 10:00 a.m. during middle and high school final exams at the request of the Ministry of Education. It said the duration was later reduced to two hours following public complaints.