Iran Tightens Control Over Social Media: SIM Cards Blocked Due to Political Activity
New reports from Iran reveal another step taken by the authorities to restrict freedom of speech online. According to foreign media outlets, Iranian citizens have recently discovered that their mobile phone SIM cards are being fully blocked by the authorities as punishment for activity on social media.
The blocks are being carried out following an order from the Iranian Cyber Police. According to reports, even simple actions such as publishing a post of a political nature or even clicking the "like" button on content critical of the regime can lead to the immediate blocking of the user's communication services.
For many citizens in Iran, the mobile phone is an essential tool for work and communication. Blocking a SIM card disconnects them from the internet and from the ability to contact the outside world. To restore service, citizens are required to undergo a complex and stressful bureaucratic process with the authorities, intended to deter them from continuing to express independent opinions.
This step joins a series of restrictions imposed by the Iranian regime in recent years on internet usage. It is another attempt by the government to tighten control over the information reaching citizens and the content they share with one another, with the goal of preventing the organization of protests or public criticism against the administration.