According to Cloudflare, a provider of digital infrastructure services, Internet services in Iraq were temporarily suspended for approximately four hours to combat cheating during academic exams. The decision to implement the shutdown was supported by data obtained from Cloudflare Radar, a service that monitors global Internet traffic, cybersecurity incidents, and technology trends. The interruption occurred on the initial day of final exams for schools and universities in Iraq during the 2022-23 academic year. Internet shutdowns to prevent cheating during exams are not a new occurrence in Iraq. The Iraqi government has previously employed this measure. According to Cloudflare Radar, the shutdown had a significant impact across various states, including Baghdad, Basra, and Nineveh. Cloudflare Radar shared this information on Twitter, specifying that the disruption lasted from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. local time. However, the autonomous Kurdistan Region, encompassing states and governorates such as Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, and Duhok, were exempted from the shutdown. NetBlocks, an internet observatory, also confirmed the reports of the shutdown and noted a considerable decline in internet connectivity throughout the country.
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