Authorities in Iraqi had to switch off giant electronic advertisement screens on Sunday throughout capital Baghdad after pornographic content was broadcast on one of these screens. According to CNN, the incident took place after a hacker gained access to the security infrastructure and managed to show the explicit content. The man was later arrested by the Iraqi police.
The objectionable footage appeared on an advertising screen situated at Uqba bin Nafia Square - a significant intersection in the heart of Baghdad. The hacker proceeded to showcase explicit content for a brief duration before the power cable was disconnected, the outlet further said.
The digital advertising boards were switched off, according to Shafaq News, which said: "Iraqi security authorities decided to temporarily turn off screens displaying advertisements in public places in the capital, Baghdad, after they were subjected to electronic hacking and immoral clips were displayed in public."
In a statement posted on the Facebook page of Federal Intelligence and Investigation Agency, said: "The Federal Intelligence and Investigation Agency, after obtaining judicial approvals and through field work, auditing and monitoring of surveillance cameras, was able to arrest the accused who carried out the hacking."
The agency further said that its preliminary investigation has revealed that the accused "committed this immoral act due to financial problems with the owner of the company that owns the display screen".
Videos capturing the explicit content being shown on the advertising screen as vehicles drove by in central Baghdad were widely circulated on social media platforms.
According to news agency AFP, a number of screens that customarily display advertisements for household products or political candidates in the lead-up to elections were switched off after the incident.
Even though Iraq, a predominantly conservative nation, declared intentions in 2022 to implement measures to block access to pornographic websites, a significant number of these sites remain accessible.
Under the influence of pro-Iranian factions, the Iraqi government has taken action against various YouTubers and TikTokers over the past year, accusing them of distributing "indecent content" that contradicts the nation's moral and cultural norms. This campaign has led to the imprisonment of several individuals, including a young woman who shared videos of herself dancing to popular music.
