A lecturer from the Department of Law at the University of Human Development, Professor Dr Saman Fawzi, was formally invited by the Kurdistan Regional Government Ministry of Culture and Youth to speak at a panel about the use of social media in Kurdistan and the lack of legislation to regulate it.

The panel was held by the Ministry of Culture and Youth in the city of Erbil on 26th November 2024.

Dr Fawzi presented the problem with the use of social media and criticised previous attempts by Parliament and the Ministry of Culture to regulate the media. The government tried to pass a law in Parliament to regulate social media use and hold wrongdoers accountable for breaching the rights of others, but there were many shortcomings in the drafts; hence, they failed to pass.

Dr Fawzi believes that the use of social media in Kurdistan has to be organised because there are currently many problems stemming from the lack of regulation. However, any regulations in the future must consider two basic principles: the rights of individuals and the freedom of the press. Both need to be maintained. Also, any future social media laws can benefit from the existing laws of developed and democratic countries.