Iraq's government has again stumbled into the argument over the use of digital platforms as it continues to turn the screw on social media, games and virtual platforms. 

The Iraqi Strategic Centre for Human Rights said that the combination of “wide-scale internet use” and the “absence of continuously updated safety measures” within households and institutions has created an increasingly unsafe digital environment for minors.

The Baghdad-based centre warned that global data paints a disturbing picture of the amount of time spent on screens, which Iraqi households have struggled to deal with in recent years. Historically, Arab governments have not engaged in such debates, but calls from some families about the use of specific platforms and games have raised concerns across different communities. 

According to UNICEF data, when a child goes online, every half second shows just how quickly young users are being swept into a digital space where predators, extortion and manipulation are widespread risks. It cited recent studies indicating that more than 300mn children worldwide face digital threats annually, ranging from online sexual exploitation and extortion to cyberbullying and coercive digital behaviour.

Concerns have deepened since the government announced in October 2025 a ban on electronic games such as PUBG, Fortnite and Roblox, arguing they encourage violence and undermine childhood well-being. 

The Ministry of Interior said the games had become “a threat to social security” and “a waste of children’s and adolescents’ money and time”. The move is part of a broader campaign to curb products seen as harmful to young people, following the earlier ban on the Labubu doll. 

The backdrop is a steadily tightening digital landscape. In 2024, Iraq expanded its internet restrictions, blocking several major websites, including the Internet Archive and 4chan.

A Ministry of Communications report that same year found that 62%  of Iraqi households do not activate any form of parental control on children’s devices, leaving young users significantly more exposed to online risks.

The Strategic Centre drew attention to the most common threats to Iraqi children, including cyberbullying and its psychological impact, online luring and exploitation, theft of personal data due to weak privacy settings, and exposure to harmful or age-inappropriate content that can influence behaviour, mental health and social development.

It also noted a growing number of cases involving hacked accounts caused by password sharing and poor digital security awareness.

The organisation said parents and communities must play a central role in updating protective tools, something that was not the case until recently in many Iraqi households with kids often in their bedrooms without supervision.

Psychologist Faleh Al-Quraishi warned that children are increasingly shifting “from social beings to virtual beings”, describing heavy screen use as “screen addiction”, a condition he compared to chemical dependency. Excessive exposure, he said, pushes children “into a cycle of anxiety, tension and social isolation”, contributing to declining academic performance.

"Without open conversation between parents and children about online risks, minors are left highly exposed to dangerous content,” he added.

The human rights body urged the Iraqi government, parliament and relevant agencies to adopt a national digital-child-protection strategy that covers legislation, prevention and monitoring. It called on authorities to accelerate the passage of a long-delayed Child Protection Law, integrate digital literacy into school curricula from the primary level and tighten penalties for online blackmail and exploitation of minors.

Among its recommendations were the creation of a national hotline for reporting incidents, enforcing child-privacy obligations on telecom operators and social-media platforms, and strengthening cooperation with UNICEF and international organisations to track emerging risks and update protective policies.