Iran's High-Tech Surveillance Enforces Strict Dress Code for Women

Recent reports highlight Iran's deployment of advanced surveillance tactics, including drones and mobile applications, to enforce its strict dress code for women. With severe consequences for non-compliance, the regime is accused of promoting a culture of state-sponsored vigilantism.

 

Iran is escalating its crackdown on women defying the nation’s mandatory hijab laws by employing drones and intrusive digital technology, according to a United Nations report. This strategy includes urging citizens to download specialized mobile applications that facilitate reporting women for alleged violations, particularly those within private vehicles such as taxis and ambulances.

Evidence gathered by investigators indicates that Iranian security forces are increasingly resorting to "state-sponsored vigilantism," seeking to involve the public and businesses in enforcing dress code norms. The report uncovers a network of drones and surveillance cameras strategically placed around Tehran and southern regions to ensure compliance.

Women defying the laws face grave repercussions, including arrest, abuse, and even sexual violence while in custody. The UN’s findings follow their previous investigation into the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who died after alleged mistreatment by the morality police, prompting widespread protests against the regime that still persist.

The report remarks that "two-and-a-half years after the protests began," systematic discrimination against Iranian women remains entrenched in both law and societal norms, specifically with regard to the enforcement of hijab regulations. At Amirkabir University in Tehran, authorities have even implemented facial recognition technology to identify women not in compliance with the dress code.

Moreover, the Iranian police’s "Nazer" app empowers a select group of users to report uncovered women, tracking their movements and generating alerts to law enforcement. Infractions can lead to vehicle impoundments, highlighting the regime's grip on everyday life and freedom.

The UN report, which involved interviews with nearly 300 victims and witnesses, also examined Iran's judiciary, emphasizing its lack of independence and the continued persecution of those who report human rights violations. The findings will be presented to the Human Rights Council on March 18, shedding light on violations including extrajudicial executions and sexual violence in custody.