{"id":25271,"date":"2014-06-16T16:22:44","date_gmt":"2014-06-16T16:22:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4cd.e16.myftpupload.com\/?p=25271"},"modified":"2014-06-16T16:22:44","modified_gmt":"2014-06-16T16:22:44","slug":"iraq-blocks-facebook-and-twitter-in-bid-to-restrict-isis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2014\/06\/iraq-blocks-facebook-and-twitter-in-bid-to-restrict-isis\/","title":{"rendered":"Iraq blocks Facebook and Twitter in bid to restrict Isis"},"content":{"rendered":"
The Iraqi government appears to have blocked Facebook, Twitter and other social media, amid escalating combat.<\/p>\n
Users in the country attempting to visit these sites are greeted by a message saying the Ministry of Communications has barred access.<\/p>\n
The move comes after Islamist insurgents used Twitter to post a graphic image of a beheaded man, and to spread propaganda messages.<\/p>\n
A Facebook spokesperson said the block was “a matter of concern”.<\/p>\n
One source in Iraq told the BBC that access to the internet was entirely restricted in some provinces.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the developments, a YouTube spokesperson said: “We’re seeing reports that some users are not able to access YouTube in Iraq. There is no technical issue on our side and we’re looking into the situation.”<\/p>\n
On Friday, Twitter’s public policy unit tweeted: “Users in #Iraq are reporting issues accessing our service. We’re investigating their reports and we hope service will be restored quickly.”<\/p>\n
A Facebook spokesperson said: “We are disturbed by reports of access issues in Iraq and are investigating. Limiting access to internet services – essential for communication and commerce for millions of people – is a matter of concern for the global community.”<\/p>\n
Although internet use was heavily controlled during Saddam Hussein’s presidency, Iraqis have since enjoyed open access to the net.<\/p>\n
Source: BBC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Iraqi government appears to have blocked Facebook, Twitter and other social media, amid escalating combat. Users in the country attempting to visit these sites are greeted by a message saying the Ministry of Communications has barred access. The move comes after Islamist insurgents used Twitter to post a graphic image of a beheaded man, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":25274,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[1417,18,1366,916],"yoast_head":"\n