- Content creators are now required to register annually and pay fees of up to $760 depending on the number of subscribers.
- Authorities say regulation will create a more responsible digital media culture; critics say framework is too vague
LONDON: Iraq's Communications and Media Commission has introduced new rules requiring digital content creators, including social media influencers, to register annually and pay fees based on the number of followers they have.
“The aim of the regulation is to create a framework that sets clear standards and procedures for digital content and advertising on social media platforms,” Haider Najm Al-Alaq, a spokesman for the commission, told the Iraqi News Agency.
He added that the main goal is to “ensure transparency, reliability and protection of the public from unprofessional advertising content.”
The new rules apply to bloggers, influencers and public figures with significant online followings. The aim is to bring digital content into line with Iraqi laws, limit “misleading or unethical advertising” and offer legal protection to registered influencers, the commission said. They will also help protect vulnerable groups, it added, including women, children and people with special needs.
Annual registration fees range from 250,000 to 1 million Iraqi dinars ($190 to $760), with the highest fees paid by influencers with more than 5 million followers. The commission said the rules would be enforced through a monitoring system.
Al-Alaq said influencers would be required to adhere to certain standards for content, including “respecting national sovereignty,” avoiding content that “harms Iraq’s position or international relations,” and supporting security agencies in their efforts to combat terrorism. They must also refrain from publishing content that could incite violence or sectarianism and provide a right of response to those affected by their content.
However, Iraqi journalists’ rights groups, content creators and media experts criticized the new rules. They described the framework as vague and expressed concerns about its legal basis and potential for abuse. They also warned that the law would do little to regulate the quality of content and would instead serve simply as a revenue-generating tool.
“This decision is sudden, illogical and confusing,” Iraqi journalist and blogger Omar Al-Janabi wrote in a message posted on the X social network.
“It doesn't differentiate between commercial advertising and political commentary, or between platforms. A journalist publishing news on X is treated no differently than a YouTube influencer selling skin cream.”
The new rules are the result of a broader crackdown on what Iraqi authorities call “indecent content” that has intensified over the past year.
On August 22, authorities arrested Raghad Mohammed Ghali Jabr al-Janabi, a 22-year-old TikToker known online as “Natalie,” in Baghdad for allegedly promoting indecent content. Several other influencers, including Aned Khaled (nicknamed “Hassas”), Ruqayya Rahim, and Aya al-Shammari, were detained that month under Article 403 of Iraq’s penal code, which criminalizes the production or distribution of content deemed to violate public decency. Those convicted under the law face fines and up to two years in prison.
The crackdown comes amid growing concerns about the safety of social media personalities in Iraq. In April 2024, popular influencer Om Fahad was shot dead outside her home in Baghdad. The killing, the third in a string of brutal attacks on online celebrities, sparked a national debate about content regulation and online safety.
