Iraq bans popular online games to protect children from 'moral threat'

MPs vote to block access to Fortnite and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds

Iraq's parliament has voted to ban popular online video games including PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and Fortnite, citing their "negative" influence, especially on the young, in a country long plagued by real-life bloodshed.

Iraq held its first election in 2018 after years of devastating factional violence. Islamic State militants held wide swathes of the country for three years until they were driven out in heavy fighting with US-backed forces in 2017.