Baghdad: The Chairman of the Communications and Media Commission, Nawfal Abu Raghif, engaged in discussions regarding content regulation and data protection with the Regional President of Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Commission revealed that Abu Raghif welcomed a high-level delegation from Meta at the Commission’s headquarters in Baghdad, led by Basma Amari, Public Policy Officer for the Middle East and North Africa. The focus of the meeting was to explore cooperative efforts to regulate content and enhance Iraq’s secure digital presence on Meta’s platforms.

During the meeting, Abu Raghif emphasized the Commission’s commitment to preserving Iraq’s digital sovereignty and respecting privacy and national standards in social media content. He highlighted the importance of establishing clear agreements with Meta to achieve these goals.

The statement noted that this meeting marked the first visit of its kind by a senior Meta official to Iraq, underscoring the company’s interest in strengthening its relationship with Iraqi authorities as part of its efforts to comprehend Iraq’s digital priorities and foster more effective communication channels with regulatory bodies.

Discussions included developing joint monitoring and coordination mechanisms to oversee misleading or offensive content and implementing fairer procedures for Iraqi users, particularly concerning content deletion or blocking pages linked to media and official institutions.

The statement also stressed the necessity of verifying official accounts and establishing a regional support center for Iraq to facilitate interactions with relevant authorities and address issues related to content or usage policies.

The meeting further addressed the implementation of joint awareness programs on digital security and information verification in collaboration with universities and civil society organizations, aiming to enhance community awareness of digital threats and self-protection strategies.

Abu Raghif affirmed the Commission’s openness to collaborative efforts with global technology companies to enhance user confidence, preserve Iraq’s digital presence, and ensure a fair communication environment within the state’s legal and sovereign frameworks.