Exam-related Internet shutdowns in Iraq and Algeria put connectivity to the test

Over the last several years, governments in countries within the Middle East/Northern Africa (MENA) region have implemented widespread nationwide shutdowns to prevent cheating on nationwide academic exams, despite no clear evidence of their effectiveness. These shutdowns cause financial losses estimated in millions of US dollars. In June 2023, Iraq has implemented a series of multi-hour shutdowns that are expected to continue through mid-July, while Algeria has taken similar actions during baccalaureate exams. Similar actions were observed in Iraq, Syria, Sudan, and Algeria in 2022 and in Syria and Sudan in 2021. These shutdowns have a significant impact on internet connectivity and traffic, with Iraq experiencing disruptions between 04:00 - 08:00 local time, while the autonomous Kurdistan region within Iraq implemented its own shorter disruptions between 06:30 - 07:30 or 06:40 - 08:30 local time. Algeria is following a similar pattern to previous years, with two multi-hour internet disruptions each day between June 11 and June 15. Digital rights organizations have launched the #NoExamShutdown campaign on social media platforms, urging MENA governments to end this practice and highlighting its negative impact on human rights and essential activities. Cloudflare Radar will continue monitoring such disruptions.