Writer-journalist Abbas al-Yasiry, a member of the Iraqi Media Network’s secretaries body, told Al-Monitor, "Social networking sites have become a double-edged sword. While they are used as a lobbying tool on the government and decision-makers to rectify mistakes, they also have negative effects as they contribute in spreading inaccurate security stories, which negatively affect the fighters — especially when these stories are filled with humane and nationalistic emotions."
Activists did not give up in the face of the decision of censorship, and on July 8, 2014, they resorted to electronic means to stop the censorship imposed by the government on several websites, as this move was a threat to freedom of expression and opinion.
Writer and social media activist Mansour al-Nasser talked to Al-Monitor about the necessity to constantly pressure and closely monitor the government through social networking sites. According to Nasser, the monitoring and pressure are not organized or efficient enough to influence the government’s strategies.
Nasser called on bloggers “to organize their activities in a more efficient way.”
Iraqi bloggers and activists succeeded in organizing political campaigns on Facebook and Twitter, which reflect their own opinions regarding many government decisions and activities. In 2011, activists on Facebook launched a campaign supporting the Arab Spring protests against former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
On Oct. 19, 2014, Iraqi activists used social networking sites to call for “saving the displaced in conflict areas in Iraq from the harsh cold and rain.”
In his interview with Al-Monitor, journalist Hadi al-Assami said that the bloggers' and activists’ interaction with the political events is “a healthy activity," but that "correct information should be checked and separated [from stories that are fabricated].”
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