A hacker broadcasted pornographic footage on an electronic advertising board in Baghdad, causing public outrage and prompting the authorities to switch off all the screens in the city.
The incident happened on Friday night, when a hacker hacked into one of the billboards near Tahrir Square, a central location that witnessed mass protests in 2019 and 2020. The hacker displayed explicit sexual content for several minutes, shocking the passers-by and the drivers.
The hacker was arrested by the police and claimed that he did it because of a financial dispute with the owner of the screen, according to Brigadier General Saad Maan, spokesman for the Ministry of Interior.
The Iraqi government has been cracking down on online content that it deems immoral or negative, such as porn sites and homosexuality. In June, the government blocked access to several websites and social media platforms, citing security and moral reasons.
The incident sparked a debate on social media, with some users condemning the hacker’s act as a violation of public morals and others mocking the authorities’ inability to prevent it. Some users also expressed their frustration with the lack of basic services and security in the country.
The electronic billboards are a relatively new phenomenon in Baghdad, where they display advertisements, news and religious messages. They are often criticized for being a source of noise and light pollution.
This is not the first time that hackers have targeted electronic billboards in Baghdad. In 2019, a hacker displayed a message that read “I love you” on one of the screens, according to Ahmed al-Khafaji, a journalist who covers technology issues.
Relevant articles:
– Iraq turns off electronic billboards after hacker broadcasts porn to Baghdad passers-by, CNN, August 21, 2023
– Baghdad advertising boards turned off over porn screening, BBC, August 20, 2023
– Hacker arrested for showing porn on Baghdad billboard, The New Arab, August 21, 2023