LEGAL PROTECTIONS FOR VICTIMS OF CYBER BLACKMAIL IN THE REPUBLIC OF IRAQ, THE UNITED STATES, AND MALAYSIA

Cyber blackmail is a crime wherein an individual or corporation threatens to release a victim's private data on social media. As it is a type of crime that expands as technology improves, the rules governing it must be regularly updated and evaluated as and when the crime changes to prevent these rules from becoming obsolete. Multiple amendments must be made to the Republic of Iraq's legislation to enable the country to punish individuals who exploit victims of cyber blackmail. Therefore, this study examines the efficacy of cyber blackmail law by discussing the characteristics of cyber blackmail, the contemporary issues surrounding it, and the relevant national legislation and regulations governing it in Iraq, the United States (U.S.), and Malaysia. Analytical and descriptive approaches were used to define, examine, and analyse the issue from all angles. As a result, Iraqi lawmakers were observed to lack a sincere commitment to passing a potent law targeting cyber blackmail, either through revisions to the Penal Code or by endorsing the draft of the Cybercrime Bill (2011). An analysis of the offense's attributes revealed that its central feature is extortion, coupled with elements of criminal intimidation designed to instill fear in the victim, compelling them to yield to the devious perpetrator's malevolent intentions. The article concludes by offering suggestions to stakeholders on enhancing their approach to addressing this problem.