The HAMTA system (Smart Communication Equipment Management System) was created to manage and monitor the import and use of mobile phone devices in Iran (registry). By registering and tracking devices' IMEI numbers, the system prevents the unauthorized import and use of mobile phones and enables the Islamic Republic's Customs Administration and the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade (MIMT) to exercise precise control over the distribution and use of this equipment.

The HAMTA system forces users to use handsets that have been officially imported into the country; that is, if a phone connects to the mobile network for the first time with any SIM card, as soon as the country's communication network detects this new IMEI, the device owner has 30 days to enter their information into the HAMTA system so that the identity of the device holder is made clear to the government — otherwise the device's data connections are cut off. The "registry" process has different costs for different phones. Using this system, the Islamic Republic had blocked Iranian users from using iPhone models from the 14 onward. This requirement not only restricts individuals' freedom of choice but could, in the future — if investments in the "national handset" and "national operating system" schemes advance — acquire a serious potential for implementing other restrictive applications that directly threaten individuals' privacy.