According to a United Nations report released on Friday, March 14, Iran is using aerial drones, facial recognition systems, and a citizen-reporting app to enforce its mandatory hijab laws on women. The report highlights how Iran has increasingly relied on technology to monitor and punish women who defy the Islamic dress code.
A key tool in this crackdown is the government-backed “Nazer” mobile app, which allows citizens and police to report women who allegedly violate the hijab law. The app enables users to upload details like the license plate, location, and time of a vehicle where a woman is not wearing a hijab. It then flags the vehicle online and alerts authorities. The app also sends a real-time text message to the vehicle’s registered owner, warning them that they have violated the law and that their vehicle could be impounded.
The app, available through Iran’s police website (FARAJA), was expanded in September 2024 to target women in ambulances, taxis, and public transportation. Additionally, Iran has deployed aerial drones in Tehran and southern Iran to monitor public spaces and ensure hijab compliance. Facial recognition software was also installed in early 2024 at the entrance of Amirkabir University in Tehran to monitor female students’ compliance.
The report also mentions a controversial draft law, the “Hijab and Chastity” law, which was suspended in December 2024 but is still seen as a major threat to women and girls. If enacted, the law could impose up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $12,000 for non-compliance. Women accused of “corruption on earth” could face the death penalty under Iran’s Islamic Penal Code.
The law would further empower Iran’s security forces and increase surveillance, according to the report. The UN also noted that hundreds of people were killed in protests against the mandatory hijab law and other political and social issues following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September 2022 while in the custody of Iran’s morality police.