Local
Within the framework of efforts to organize the media landscape and regulate the pace of journalistic and technical work, the local media sector witnessed a prominent regulatory move, as the authorities concerned with regulating the media, communications, and information technology sectors in the country issued today, Monday, a comprehensive and direct directive addressed to all institutions and platforms operating in the media field, based on the powers and effective legislation that entrusted the relevant authorities with the task of organizing this vital sector in a way that guarantees the rights of the public and institutions alike, and out of keenness to frame media work within solid legal frameworks that guarantee the rights of everyone and regulate professional performance mechanisms in accordance with prevailing regulations and instructions, thus calling upon media institutions operating in Iraq that have not obtained the required license or have not completed its legal and technical procedures, including various categories and platforms such as traditional satellite channels, satellite channels broadcasting their content via the internet, various electronic platforms, in addition to media offices, news agencies, podcast programs, websites affiliated with media institutions, and fixed, mobile and portable live broadcast devices, to urgently fulfill all licensing requirements in accordance with effective regulations and instructions. In the same regulatory context, administrative mechanisms for submission were determined, requiring applications to be submitted and required documents to be completed exclusively electronically via the authority's designated electronic services portal, within a specified period of thirty days starting from October fifteenth, two thousand and twenty-six, and the competent department for media regulation will provide all forms of necessary support to the covered institutions throughout the submission period. If the specified period expires without completing the licensing procedures, the competent authorities will take legal and administrative measures against the violating institutions stipulated in the regulations for violations of media entities operating in Iraq, which include suspending their activity inside the Republic of Iraq, and contacting satellite companies through approved diplomatic channels to stop the broadcasting of unlicensed channels, which requires all covered institutions to deal with this circular with the utmost seriousness and full adherence to the specified period to avoid the prescribed measures.
