Iraq Renews Porn Site Ban as Kurdistan Region Leaves Choice to Users
"While the Federal Court has ordered all pornographic sites to be blocked nationwide, in the Kurdistan Region, we have implemented the Family Package project, which enables subscribers to decide whether or not these sites are censored,” Rashid told Kurdistan24.
Erbil (Kurdistan24) – Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court has once again issued a ruling to block access to pornographic websites across the country, the spokesperson for the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Transport and Communications confirmed to Kurdistan24 on Saturday. However, the official emphasized that in the Kurdistan Region, users retain the choice of whether to filter such sites through the existing “Family Package” option provided by internet companies.
Dilan Rashid, the ministry’s spokesperson, explained that the Iraqi judiciary has now issued such a decision for the fourth time, but noted that enforcement remains limited.
“While the Federal Court has ordered all pornographic sites to be blocked nationwide, in the Kurdistan Region, we have implemented the Family Package project, which enables subscribers to decide whether or not these sites are censored,” Rashid told Kurdistan24.
He added that although Baghdad continues to reaffirm its prohibition, many users in Iraq bypass restrictions by using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).
Federal Ruling and Legal Basis
The Federal Court’s latest decision came in response to a lawsuit filed by Iraqi parliamentarian Basem Khazaal Khashan. The court based its ruling on Article 39 of its internal regulations, passed in 2022, and instructed the Ministry of Communications and the head of the Media and Communications Commission to ensure that pornographic sites are blocked across Iraq.
Since 2015, the Iraqi government has ordered the shutdown of more than 4,000 such sites, imposing filters on internet providers. Nevertheless, these measures have consistently been circumvented through VPN use, making enforcement largely ineffective.
Trends and Statistics
According to a study conducted by the UK-based company SimilarWeb, which tracks internet traffic, Iraq ranks first among Arab countries in terms of visits to pornographic websites. Globally, the same report placed Iraq in the fourth tier of overall traffic, following sites related to online shopping, gambling, and gaming.
This enduring trend underscores the difficulty Baghdad faces in regulating internet use, especially in the absence of advanced technological safeguards.
Meanwhile, the Kurdistan Region has opted for a different approach by providing families and individuals the freedom to activate or deactivate filters at will, rather than imposing a blanket ban. The Family Package program, already in effect in the Region, has been publicized to local ISPs, who are required to offer it as a user choice.
