Iraq acts on cybercrimes with new minutes-access system
Shafaq News – Baghdad
Iraq has launched a new digital platform to counter online extortion and other cybercrimes, introducing a rapid-response system that aims to protect victims as technology-enabled abuse continues to rise.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, National Security Service spokesperson Arshad Al-Hakim said the initiative, called “Ameen,” responds to a growing threat environment where blackmail increasingly relies on “data, images, and digital content.” He described the platform as a confidential, integrated system that lets victims file reports within minutes and immediately sends relevant material to specialized investigative teams.
Al-Hakim noted that the application supports multiple languages, uses a secure phone-based verification process, and includes clear measures to protect victims throughout the investigation.
The launch follows a three-month nationwide campaign that concluded in November, during which authorities arrested about 40 people accused of “online extortion and defamation.” Iraqi law addresses these offenses under Articles 430–432 of the Penal Code, with penalties ranging from one to seven years depending on the crime.
Officials have raised concerns that artificial intelligence is fueling a sharp rise in digital blackmail, especially against women, by enabling fabricated videos, cloned voices, and manipulated images. The Interior Ministry’s Community Police Department received more than 13,000 complaints of digital harassment and blackmail in 2024, many involving falsified content.
Read more: The new blackmail in Iraq: AI and the exploitation of women
