Iraq strengthens digital partnership with Meta fibre-optic plans

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al-Sudani has reaffirmed his government's commitment to accelerating digital transformation and automation in coordination with Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, during high-level talks held in Baghdad this week.

According to a statement from the Prime Minister's media office, al-Sudani met with a delegation from Meta on Wednesday to discuss joint efforts in areas including digital governance, online safety, data sovereignty, and content policy. Al-Sudani reiterated the government's intention to expand automation across all public service sectors, including government administration and banking.

One key topic of discussion was the proposed installation of a fibre-optic cable from the Gulf and through Iraqi territory to Turkey, aimed at upgrading Iraq's telecommunications infrastructure and boosting internet connectivity.

The two sides also agreed on the importance of organising joint workshops to coordinate social media governance and platform management within Iraq.

The talks come as al-Sudani prepares to seek re-election in the upcoming parliamentary polls scheduled for 11 November. Early campaigning has already begun, raising questions about the possible political motivations behind the Prime Minister's overtures to Meta. Analysts told The New Arab that al-Sudani could be seeking the company's cooperation and campaigning techniques on social media platforms and voter engagement strategies.

When contacted by TNA, a member of the Iraqi parliament's telecommunications committee said that the Meta delegation had not met with committee members, and that lawmakers had not been informed of the delegation's visit or its specific purpose.

In a related development, Nofal Abu Ragheef, Chairman of Iraq's Communications and Media Commission (CMC), met with Meta's regional policy team on Thursday, led by Basma Al-Omari, the company’s Head of Public Policy for the Middle East and North Africa.

The meeting focused on content regulation, data protection, and the safeguarding of Iraq's digital sovereignty. Abu Ragheef emphasised the importance of protecting user privacy and aligning digital platform policies with Iraq's legal and cultural standards. He called for formal agreements with Meta to ensure mutual understanding and accountability.

"This marks the first visit by a senior Meta official to Iraq," the CMC said in a statement, adding that it reflects the company's growing interest in building a direct and effective relationship with Iraqi authorities.

Both parties discussed the possibility of establishing a dedicated regional support centre for Iraq to facilitate content moderation processes and streamline communication between Meta and relevant Iraqi institutions. The CMC also urged the company to adopt clearer and fairer policies regarding content takedown and page suspensions, particularly in the case of official and media-affiliated accounts.

Additional proposals included joint digital literacy campaigns focused on misinformation and online safety, in collaboration with Iraqi universities and civil society organisations.

Abu Ragheef concluded by reaffirming the CMC's openness to responsible cooperation with global technology companies, underlining the need to ensure Iraq's digital space remains fair, sovereign, and secure for all users.