Iran's Surveillance for Hijab Enforcement

A United Nations report has revealed that Iran is increasingly using electronic surveillance and public informants to enforce its mandatory headscarf laws, with hard-liners pushing for harsher penalties. The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran found that the country deploys aerial drones, facial recognition software at Amirkabir University of Technology, and surveillance cameras to monitor women. The Nazer (app) mobile app allows the public to report women not wearing the hijab in vehicles, leading to text message warnings and vehicle impoundments. This crackdown follows the 2022 death of Death of Mahsa Amini, which sparked widespread protests and a security response that killed over 500 people. Despite initial relaxation, enforcement intensified in April 2024 under the Noor Plan, leading to at least 618 arrests. The report also noted a threefold increase in executions in Iran since 2021, with 938 people executed last year, indicating a nexus with the repression of dissent. This social unrest, combined with an economic crisis due to United States sanctions over its nuclear program, poses significant challenges for Iran's theocracy, despite calls for new negotiations from Donald Trump to Ali Khamenei.