Parliamentary Demands to Halt the Granting of a "Starlink" Network License in Iraq

Iraqi Member of Parliament, Hiyam Al-Yasiri, warned against proceeding with the procedures to grant a satellite internet service operation license to "Starlink," urging legislative, executive, and judicial authorities to intervene urgently to halt the decision. Al-Yasiri noted that she had submitted a parliamentary inquiry to the relevant telecommunications authorities, outlining several technical and legal concerns regarding the licensing mechanism. She emphasized that this measure could have severe implications for national security by leaving user data and movements exposed to the operating company. Additionally, she highlighted potential negative economic impacts on local telecom companies and national infrastructure projects, such as the fiber optic cable network, in exchange for financial returns to the state treasury that she described as "insignificant."