In Iran, Iranian authorities have said the technology can help arrest dissidents, including women not wearing the hijab. In fact, local whistleblowers have noted that many arrests did not occur during the demonstrations, reports cabling.
Last September, the head of an Iranian government agency said the technology would be used “to identify inappropriate and unusual movements,” including “breaking compliance with hijab laws.” People could be identified by matching faces against a national identity database to make arrests.
For their part, the complainants noted that many arrests occurred several days after the demonstrations. If the practice is proven, Iran would be the first country to use technology to impose a dress law on women based on religious beliefs.
Researchers who have also worked on the issue are going public with their suspicions. Mahsa Alimardani conducts research on freedom of expression in Iran at the University of Oxford. She recently learned of Iranian women who have received letters from the authorities for violating the hijab law without first speaking to a police officer.
A Chinese surveillance system
The researcher explains cabling that the Iranian government has spent years building a digital surveillance apparatus. Iran has a national database of the country’s identity. Created in 2015, it includes biometric data such as facial scans used for ID cards and dissident identification.
According to a report published in December 2021 by IPVM, part of the facial recognition system used in Iran comes from the Chinese company Tiandy. The IPVM discovered that the Tiandy Iran website was listed as a client of the Islamic Police of Iran.
Multiple branches of the Iranian government have access to facial recognition technology, Wired reports, stating that Iranian agents began using it in 2020. They issued fines and sent text warnings to women at the hijab port inside a vehicle. In Iran, women considered dissidents may lose access to banks, public transport and other essential public services.
Since the beginning of the protests, the Islamic Republic has restricted access to the Internet, making it difficult to share information.
Source: BFM TV
