Iran accused of blocking SIM cards, digital access to silence dissent

In Iran , cell phone numbers are a key tool for digital identity verification and access to banking, judicial, administrative and insurance services, as well as many everyday activities.

As a result, disconnecting a SIM card can do more than block calls and text messages. It can also cut off access to a wide range of digital services.

Some Iranians said the restrictions on their cell phones were accompanied by the blocking of user accounts and access to banking and government services. They said access was restored only after they deleted critical content or pledged to stop participating in protest-related activities .

DW spoke to three people in Iran about the issue. They have used pseudonyms out of concern for their safety.

Sina told DW that he realized his SIM card had been disconnected while returning from university and trying to book a taxi by phone.

The 25-year-old said that after visiting a telecommunications center, he received a call from someone claiming to be from the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IO-IRGC), who instructed him to go to a specified location to have his SIM card reconnected.

Sina said he was interrogated for about six hours and that his mobile phone was confiscated.

Copyright for this text belongs to Deutsche Welle.