The use of the Internet has diverse positive and negative effects. Among the negative effects is the exacerbation of the phenomenon of electronic blackmail, which is one of the cybercrimes that has increased in both developed and developing countries in recent times. Electronic blackmail is a crime that involves an attack or the threat of an attack, accompanied by a demand for money to avoid or stop the attack.

Since the advent of social media, Iraq has suffered from the spread of electronic blackmail crimes, affecting society in general and women in particular. The main problem lies in the weak enforcement of the law and the lack of sufficient legislation to deal with such crimes. Additionally, victims’ reluctance to report these incidents to the authorities out of fear of scandal and shame has led to a widespread increase in electronic blackmail crimes against women in Iraq, especially among social media users. This has also contributed to the spread of so-called “honor crimes” under the pretext of “cleansing shame.”

Given the above, the importance of this study emerges in raising awareness about the dangers of electronic blackmail crimes and their impact on Iraqi society, especially women, and in focusing on the prevailing laws in other countries regarding this crime. The paper also aims to enhance legal protection and increase legislation that contributes to combating this phenomenon and protecting the rights of victims.

The world has witnessed a range of positive effects brought about by technology as a result of the tremendous development in the field of communications. However, this development has been accompanied by many ethical and legal challenges. Among these challenges is the crime of electronic blackmail, which is considered one of the most dangerous crimes at present, threatening the lives of individuals and entire communities, especially through social media platforms.

Blackmail targeting women is the most widespread type of electronic blackmail, particularly when the perpetrator is a man and the victim is a woman. This often involves the threat of leaking confidential information to coerce women into paying money or exploiting them to perform illegal acts for the benefit of the blackmailers, such as disclosing confidential information.

According to statements from the Directorate of Relations and Media at the Iraqi Ministry of Interior, the number of female victims of electronic blackmail in Iraq reached 1,355 in 2023, in addition to many unreported cases, which are much higher than this number. There are no accurate official statistics regarding electronic blackmail crimes.