Iraq’s telecom ministry lifted the ban on Telegram over the weekend, days after the agency blocked the chat app over security concerns.
Telegram has shown commitment to communicating with authorities about security concerns, the ministry said, insisting that it “doesn’t stand against freedom of expression.”
Telegram didn’t share any private user data with Iraqi authorities, the messaging app operator told the publication.
Last week, Iraq banned the chat app saying that many channels were publishing citizen’s private data such as names, addresses, and family ties with other people.
At that time, the ministry said that Telegram — which has more than 800 million users globally — didn’t respond to its requests, and as a result, the country banned the app.
In July, Amnesty International cautioned how the country’s draft laws could give the government the power to punish anyone who criticizes the authorities.
One wonders which citizens' data got them excited.
Given the recent issues around human rights for half their population, and the aggressive response to protest that involved summary murders, I worry the trend suggests the information leak that got the country upset was the release of details removing the anonymity of 'police' forces.