International SIM Cards Sold for 'Up to 90 Million Tomans' to Bypass Filtering in Iran

Reports from Iran indicate that international SIM cards are being traded for between '10 to 90 million tomans' to bypass filtering. According to the news website Khabar Online on Sunday, July 16, the buying and selling of international SIM cards, which range from '10 to 90 million tomans', is used to access 'free internet in Iran'. The report emphasizes that existing VPNs do not always meet the needs of Iranian users, and their 'disconnections' pose 'significant risks' for traders, leading them to acquire SIM cards that can be used in Iran and all countries except 'North Korea'. These SIM cards are used for 'identity verification' on websites like 'cryptocurrency exchanges' and 'AI chatbots' that have sanctioned Iranian codes, although their primary use is 'during foreign travels'. The feature of these international SIM cards is that they can be used by changing the internet IP address, thus 'bypassing filtering'. Iranian officials have frequently filtered platforms used by the public, and users often have to spend money on VPNs while being forced to migrate en masse to newer social networks. Ali Beigi, an internet expert, previously told Voice of America that the Islamic Republic has not achieved its intended goals through filtering, and in the meantime, only a few have gained financially. Despite the restrictions imposed by the Islamic Republic, a significant number of users continue to use banned platforms with VPNs, and gradually, government affiliates have taken over part of the VPN sales market. Last year, the emigration of Hamidreza Razazadeh, the son of Ansieh Khazali, deputy of Ebrahim Raisi, to Canada became news related to VPN sales.