"It's not a foolproof way to establish where a user is based since virtual private networks (VPNs) change a user's location. And with X being blocked in Iran since 2009, most Iranians are forced to use VPNs to access X. But a select few in Iran don't need a VPN. The new feature has exposed accounts in Iran that access the platform using what Iranians call "white SIM cards," which allow unrestricted Internet access as part of the so-called "tiered Internet" system in Iran."
"Amir Rashidi, director of Internet security and digital rights at the Miaan Group, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that a reliable way to figure out whether someone has access to unrestricted Internet is if their new "About This Account" page indicates that they are based in Iran and connecting via the Iran app store. By law, some Iranian businesses, academics, and journalists can have access to unrestricted Internet."
The social media platform X added an 'About This Account' panel that shows account location and how the account connects to the X app. VPNs can mask a user's true location, and X has been blocked in Iran since 2009, so most Iranian users rely on VPNs. A minority in Iran access X without VPNs using 'white SIM cards,' which grant unrestricted Internet access under a tiered Internet system. Filterwatch calls tiered Internet 'a concept that transforms Internet access from a universal right into a special privilege for a select group.' Observers used the new panel to identify accounts in Iran with unrestricted access, including state-affiliated news agencies and hard-line lawmakers.
Read at RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty
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