'Electronic Armies' wage war on Iraqi social media to settle political scores
While lacking physical weapons, these armies leverage their legions of followers, likes, and comments to wield significant influence. They operate largely anonymously, attacking opponents with disinformation and slanderous accusations.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – A flood of fake accounts on social media, estimated to cost upwards of 150 million Iraqi dinars monthly, is raising alarms in Iraq.
These "electronic armies," financed largely by political entities, are waging campaigns of defamation and character assassination to settle political scores, observers say.
While lacking physical weapons, these armies leverage their legions of followers, likes, and comments to wield significant influence. They operate largely anonymously, attacking opponents with disinformation and slanderous accusations.
"Hiding behind fake accounts is much safer than direct confrontation," political observer Alaa al-Hadidi told Kurdistan24. "Anyone trying to discredit someone using their real name could face legal consequences. But in the virtual world, these electronic armies can wage war without revealing their identities."
The real danger, according to observers, is the vast amount of political money fueling these campaigns. It is believed that hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent to finance these armies.
"One party attacks another, one politician targets another," political activist Qusay Abbas explained to Kurdistan24. "Disagreement and rivalry are driving the creation of these pages, and political money, often state resources, is funding their operation."
Unofficial statistics estimate that the amount of money spent on these armies each month could exceed 150 million dinars.
This vast sum reflects the sheer number of pages and workers involved, all engaged in either smearing politicians or polishing the images of officials.
Further reporting was done by Kurdistan24 Correspondent Seif Ali
