ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s Central Bank has directed all banks and financial institutions to suspend financial transactions with TikTok intermediaries within Iraq. There had been previous plans to ban the app over social concerns.
In a document seen by Rudaw and signed by Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) Deputy Governor Ammar Hamad Khalaf, all licensed banks and “non-banking financial institutions” were ordered to suspend "incoming and outgoing financial transfers to TikTok intermediaries inside Iraq."
A source from CBI told Rudaw on the condition of anonymity that they will reveal the reason for the ban “in the near future.”
The document, dated November 28, was made public on Sunday and refers to a letter from the communication ministry issued in April.
In March, Iraq’s communications minister, Hiyam al-Yasiri, announced plans to ban TikTok for aiding in “dismantling the Iraqi social fabric.” The app has repeatedly drawn controversy from parts of Iraq’s conservative population, who have accused it of ruining the country’s social fabric and having a detrimental impact on its young people.
Yasiri noted that a decision to ban the application exceeds her jurisdiction and would require the approval of parliament or the council of ministers.
TikTok is hugely popular in Iraq, with its short videos having a massive audience, especially among young people.
“The app is locked right now, and there is nothing we can do,” Shadi Faisal, a TikTok user, told Rudaw’s Vazhin Morad in Erbil, lamenting losing access to approximately $4,500 worth of virtual coins he had purchased on the app. These coins are typically used to gift content creators on the platform.
Last week, Iraq's communications ministry blocked the Internet Movie Database (IMDb), a platform providing information on movies, TV shows, actors, and filmmakers, citing allegations of inappropriate content. The ministry also briefly blocked SoundCloud, an audio streaming service.
