Iraq to shut off internet during exam hours starting on Saturday

Erbil (Kurdistan 24) - The Iraqi Ministry of Communications announced on Friday that it would cut internet service for two hours on weekday mornings to prevent attempts to cheat during nationwide student exams.

The ministry said in a statement received by Kurdistan 24 that that service will be suspended between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. for the duration of exams, starting on Saturday and ending on Sept. 10.

The same policy was enacted for final exams at the end of the last school year, after fears that students would smuggle mobile phones or other internet-connected devices into schools.

In July, the Iraqi government shut off internet service and therefore blocked social media use after protesters poured on the streets by the thousands in Iraq's central and southern regions to demonstrate against poor public services, low standard of living, employment, and widescale government corruption.