... On 13 September 2017, three civil society organisations filed a complaint with the Italian Government against Italtel Group S.p.A, a major Italian telecom company regarding its business activities in Iran. The complainants argue that the technologies and services offered by Italtel to its Iranian partner, the Telecommunications Company of Iran (TCI), breach multiple provisions of the OECD Guidelines by contributing to internet censorship and other rights violations in Iran and help the Iranian authorities, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, to suppress political dissent and civil liberties in the country and in cyberspace. The complainants are asking the Italian government whether the company’s actions are consistent with the Guidelines and more importantly are calling for an immediate moratorium on current negotiations and business engagements between Italtel and TCI until the alleged breaches to the Guidelines are addressed... The Guidelines provide non-binding principles for responsible business conduct in areas such as employment and industrial relations, human rights, environment, information disclosure, combating bribery, consumer interests, human rights, science and technology, competition and taxation. Their impact has been felt the most extensively in the areas of human rights and labour relations...