Shafaq News- Saladin

A 16-year-old boy who died after alleged torture in Tuz Khurmatu, Saladin province, Iraq, had spent about 107 million dinars ($82,000) on TikTok and PUBG purchases, security sources told Shafaq News on Tuesday.

Preliminary investigations linked the spending to a family dispute that ended with the boy's alleged torture and death. His father and maternal uncle were arrested pending investigation.

Tuz Khurmatu had recorded five other recent cases of minors under 18 taking more than 50 million dinars ($38,000) from family homes for digital purchases in games and on social platforms, the sources added.

Social researcher Abbas Al-Bayati told Shafaq News that repeated cases reflected weak parental oversight and limited awareness of digital spending risks.

Read more: Iraqi specialists warn of technology’s psychological and physical risks