Iran has intensified its crackdown on women defying the mandatory hijab law, utilizing cutting-edge technology like drones, facial recognition, and a government-backed mobile app, according to a United Nations report released on Friday, March 14.
The report, based on a two-year fact-finding mission, exposes the Iranian government’s increasing reliance on technology to monitor, punish, and control women’s adherence to the Islamic dress code.
Central to this effort is the “Nazer” mobile application, which allows citizens and police to report women not wearing their hijabs.
The app, which has gained prominence in recent years, encourages users to submit details such as the location, time, and license plate number of vehicles in which women are seen without their hijabs.
Once a violation is flagged, the app sends real-time alerts to the vehicle’s owner, warning them of the breach and threatening impoundment of the vehicle for non-compliance.
The app also triggers immediate notifications to police, ensuring rapid enforcement of the law.
Further tightening the surveillance, Iran has deployed aerial drones in Tehran and southern parts of the country to monitor public spaces for hijab violations.
In addition to this, new facial recognition technology has been installed at key locations, such as the entrance to Amirkabir University in Tehran, to monitor female students’ adherence to the dress code.
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The report also highlights the controversial draft “Hijab and Chastity” law, which would impose severe penalties on women who refuse to comply with the hijab requirement, including prison sentences of up to 10 years and hefty fines.
Under the law, women could even face the death penalty for “corruption on earth,” a charge under Iran’s Islamic Penal Code.
While the law was suspended in December 2024, it remains a potent threat to women’s rights in the country.
The crackdown comes in the wake of widespread protests in 2022 following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in the custody of Iran’s morality police.
These protests, which saw hundreds of deaths, were sparked by outrage over Iran’s compulsory hijab law and broader issues of political and social repression.
Iran’s increasing use of technology for surveillance marks a disturbing trend in the country’s efforts to control its citizens, especially women, in the name of upholding Islamic law.
