MTN Irancell

MTN Irancell is a major Iranian mobile operator providing mobile telecommunications services including voice, data, and SMS to subscribers across Iran. It serves a substantial customer base, as evidenced by the 2016 incident affecting approximately 20 million users. The company operates nationwide, offering connectivity to individuals and businesses.

As a leading mobile operator in Iran, MTN Irancell holds a significant market position within the country's telecommunications sector, focusing on delivering reliable mobile connectivity. The July 2016 incident involved a Telegram bot that was active for approximately twenty hours, allowing anyone with a phone number to retrieve personal data. The bot exposed sensitive information such as names, addresses, national identification codes, and contact numbers for around twenty million subscribers. Investigations indicated that the data had originated from an earlier breach and had been shared among advertisers before being accessed via the bot. Independent verification of the bot's functionality confirmed the ease with which personal records could be obtained, raising concerns about identity theft, financial fraud, and targeted scams. This event underscored the importance of robust data protection measures for telecommunications providers operating in Iran. The organization is headquartered in Iran, reflecting its local operational focus and regulatory compliance with Iranian telecommunications authorities.