White SIM cards: Privileged users stay online in Iran amid internet shutdown

The government of Iran has said that it is providing special internet access to selected users who can promote its position online, despite the country maintaining one of the strictest nationwide internet restrictions in its history, according to monitoring groups, cited by Iran International.

Much of this privileged access is believed to be granted through so-called “white SIM cards”—mobile numbers that are exempt from Iran’s filtering system. These SIM cards allow users to directly access blocked platforms such as X, Telegram, and Instagram.

Such measures reportedly enable selected individuals to remain active online while the broader population faces strict internet limitations imposed by the authorities.

According to internet monitoring group NetBlocks, the Iranian government has been promoting its agenda through whitelisted online services while the public remains in a digital blackout

“The regime continues to promote its agenda through whitelisted networks, cultivating media assets at home and abroad,” NetBlocks said on March 6, six days into the latest round of nationwide internet shutdown.

Meanwhile, Iran’s nationwide internet shutdown has continued for more than 240 hours, marking one of the most severe government-imposed nationwide blackouts ever recorded globally and the second longest in the country’s history after the January protests, according to NetBlocks.

By Khagan Isayev