Iran is expanding its surveillance state by using drones, facial recognition, and citizen-reporting apps to enforce Islamic dress codes for women, according to a recent United Nations report, as cited by De Telegraaf.
The regime is deploying drones and cameras for so-called “hijab checks” to efficiently track and punish women deemed non-compliant with the state-imposed dress code. Facial recognition, similar to technology used in China, is being tested to quickly identify and sanction offenders.
Citizens are encouraged to participate in the repression. A government-backed app promotes “social responsibility” by allowing users to report women who are “improperly dressed” — including by submitting their location, license plate, and identifying details.
A Culture of Fear
This high-tech crackdown is deepening fear among Iranian women. Human rights groups warn that detained women often face abuse, including rape, in prison. The regime is using technology not only to suppress dissent but to systematically target and control women.
“It’s an extension of the police state,” a UN researcher told the BBC. “Citizens are now complicit in the repression, while surveillance technologies severely restrict women’s freedom of movement.”
Ongoing Resistance
Despite the risks, Iranian women continue to protest. Videos of women removing their headscarves in defiance of the regime regularly circulate online — acts of courage that can lead to arrest, imprisonment, or worse.
The last major wave of protests erupted in 2022 after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in custody. She had been arrested by the morality police for “improperly” wearing her hijab. Her death sparked mass demonstrations across Iran and internationally, but the regime crushed the protests with violence.
Following China’s Footsteps
Iran’s surveillance model mirrors that of China, where similar technology is used to monitor ethnic minorities, dissidents, and political activists. Analysts warn that Iran is refining and institutionalizing these methods as part of its machinery of repression.
Human rights organizations are urging the international community to act. With drones, facial recognition, and apps that encourage citizens to report one another, Iran is rapidly evolving into a digital dictatorship — one that targets women at its core.
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