Mass surveillance in Iran

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Mass surveillance in Iran looks into Iranian government surveillance of its citizens. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Surveillance technology

According to a report by surveillance research group IPVM, Tiandy Technologies is selling surveillance technology to Islamic Revolutionary Guard, police, and military. The company sells cameras and AI-enabled software, such as facial recognition technology, software that claims to detect someone's race, and "smart" interrogation tables and "tiger chairs". [4] [5] [6] According to reports, Tiandy has signed a five-year deal to supply video surveillance equipment to Iran. Iran has unveiled plans for a "social credit" system as well as its own "Great Firewall," which will allow the government to block foreign information as it sees fit. [7] Iran is said to use artificial intelligence in order to survey and crack down on women's rights groups. [8]

Phone Apps for Mass Surveillance

On 15 February 2018, The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) claimed that the country's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Ministry of Intelligence and Security are using a web of state-produced mobile phone applications to conduct "mass surveillance" of protesters and dissidents. [9] The said spyware-enabled apps are available on Google Play, Apple Store, and GitHub. [10] [11]

VPN

In March 2022, it was announced that using VPNs in Iran might become illegal under the new Iran Internet Law. On March 17, Article 19, along with more than 50 other organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Access Now, called on Iranian authorities and those in bilateral talks with the country to pressure the Iranian parliament to repeal the 'User Protection Bill.' Foreign tech companies operating in Iran, such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter, will be required to follow all of the Bill's provisions, appoint a representative in the country, and submit the identification and history of their users' activities to the government upon request. Platforms that do not comply with the government's requirements will face bandwidth limiting and bans. [12] [13] [14]

Human Rights and Iranian Internet Bill

A group of human rights organizations criticized Iran's attempts to impose extensive censorship and governmental control over the country's internet infrastructure. In March 2022, the Iranian Parliament approved the "draconian" Regulatory System for Cyberspace Services Bill — formerly known as the User Protection Bill. If passed, it "would violate an array of human rights of Iranians, including the right to freedom of expression and right to privacy." Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Global Voices, and other rights organizations signed a joint statement urging Tehran to "immediately withdraw the measure in its entirety." [15]

Iran Intranet

On 24 August 2020, several members of the Iranian Majlis Parliament submitted a proposal to the parliament's presidium to "organize social media," highlighting the importance of replacing foreign messaging applications with native ones. On 7 September 2020, it was reported that if Internet platforms do not comply with the Islamic Republic's laws and regulations, they will be censored. [16]

Crackdown on women's rights

In response to the women's movement that surged following Masha Amini's death under Iranian police custody [17] [18] , the Iranian government employed AI-facilitated practices, including facial recognition, geolocation, and web traffic analysis, to manage and suppress protests. The government introduced draft legislation to use AI-assisted tools for enforcing strict morality codes and implemented internet restrictions to curb social mobilization. [19] [20] The death of the Iranian teenager Armita Geravand was said to have ensued following her being surveilled without a hijab in october 2023. [19] These measures led to the arrest of over twenty thousand individuals and the death of more than five hundred protesters. The morality police used facial recognition to enforce dress codes, resulting in warnings to over a million women about potential vehicle confiscation for not wearing headscarves, and sanctions against businesses serving women without hijabs. [19] Iran's surveillance capabilities have significantly increased due to a surge in video recorder imports from China, which more than doubled in 2022 during widespread protests. The enhanced technology facilitates gender-based repression more efficiently and cost-effectively, raising global concerns among women's rights advocates. [19] [20] [21] Reports indicate that 70 percent of Iranian women do not comply with the government's hijab regulations. The Headquarters for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice relies on national ID card images for their surveillance databases, potentially leading to inaccurate matches and wrongful persecution. The legalization and use of extensive technological surveillance in Iran have broader implications for national and regional security according to CRF. [19] [20] [21] CRF remarked that in countries with male guardianship laws such as Saudi Arabia, and Yemen, Iran and Qatar facial recognition technology could make the process of surveilling women easier and faster. [19]

Related Research Articles

The right to privacy is an element of various legal traditions that intends to restrain governmental and private actions that threaten the privacy of individuals. Over 185 national constitutions mention the right to privacy. On December 10, 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), originally written to guarantee individual rights of everyone everywhere; while the right to privacy does not appear in the document, many interpret this through Article 12, which states: "No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with their privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honor and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mass surveillance</span> Intricate surveillance of an entire or a substantial fraction of a population

Mass surveillance is the intricate surveillance of an entire or a substantial fraction of a population in order to monitor that group of citizens. The surveillance is often carried out by local and federal governments or governmental organizations, but it may also be carried out by corporations. Depending on each nation's laws and judicial systems, the legality of and the permission required to engage in mass surveillance varies. It is the single most indicative distinguishing trait of totalitarian regimes. It is often distinguished from targeted surveillance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Facial recognition system</span> Technology capable of matching a face from an image against a database of faces

A facial recognition system is a technology potentially capable of matching a human face from a digital image or a video frame against a database of faces. Such a system is typically employed to authenticate users through ID verification services, and works by pinpointing and measuring facial features from a given image.

The Great Firewall is the combination of legislative actions and technologies enforced by the People's Republic of China to regulate the Internet domestically. Its role in internet censorship in China is to block access to selected foreign websites and to slow down cross-border internet traffic. The Great Firewall operates by checking transmission control protocol (TCP) packets for keywords or sensitive words. If the keywords or sensitive words appear in the TCP packets, access will be closed. If one link is closed, more links from the same machine will be blocked by the Great Firewall. The effect includes: limiting access to foreign information sources, blocking foreign internet tools and mobile apps, and requiring foreign companies to adapt to domestic regulations.

During the late 20th and early 21st centuries in Iran, women's rights have been severely restricted, compared with those in most developed nations. The World Economic Forum's 2017 Global Gender Gap Report ranked Iran 140, out of 144 countries, for gender parity. In 2017, in Iran, females comprised just 19% of the paid workforce, with seven percent growth since 1990. In 2017, the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Index ranked Iran in the bottom tercile of 153 countries. Compared to other South Asian regions, women in Iran have a better access to financial accounts, education, and cellphones. Iran was ranked 116, out of the 153 countries, in terms of legal discrimination against women.

WeChat or Weixin in Chinese ; lit. 'micro-message') is a Chinese instant messaging, social media, and mobile payment app developed by Tencent. First released in 2011, it became the world's largest standalone mobile app in 2018 with over 1 billion monthly active users. WeChat has been described as China's "app for everything" and a super-app because of its wide range of functions. WeChat provides text messaging, hold-to-talk voice messaging, broadcast (one-to-many) messaging, video conferencing, video games, mobile payment, sharing of photographs and videos and location sharing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mass surveillance in India</span> Overview of mass surveillance in India

Mass surveillance is the pervasive surveillance of an entire or a substantial fraction of a population. Mass surveillance in India includes Surveillance, Telephone tapping, Open-source intelligence, Lawful interception, and surveillance under Indian Telegraph Act, 1885.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mass surveillance in China</span>

Mass surveillance in the People's Republic of China (PRC) is the network of monitoring systems used by the Chinese central government to monitor Chinese citizens. It is primarily conducted through the government, although corporate surveillance in connection with the Chinese government has been reported to occur. China monitors its citizens through Internet surveillance, camera surveillance, and through other digital technologies. It has become increasingly widespread and grown in sophistication under General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Xi Jinping's administration.

IT-backed authoritarianism, also known as techno-authoritarianism, digital authoritarianism or digital dictatorship, refers to the state use of information technology in order to control or manipulate both foreign and domestic populations. Tactics of digital authoritarianism may include mass surveillance including through biometrics such as facial recognition, internet firewalls and censorship, internet blackouts, disinformation campaigns, and digital social credit systems. Although some institutions assert that this term should only be used to refer to authoritarian governments, others argue that the tools of digital authoritarianism are being adopted and implemented by governments with "authoritarian tendencies", including democracies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guidance Patrol</span> Islamic religious police in Iran

The Guidance Patrol or morality police is an Islamic religious police force and vice squad in the Law Enforcement Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Guidance Patrol enforce Sharia–Islamic law—per laws in Iran; this is most often the enforcement of Islamic dress code, such as ensuring women in the country wear hijabs. The Guidance Patrol was formed in 2005 as a successor organisation to the older Islamic Revolution Committees, and reports to the Supreme Leader.

CloudWalk Technology Co. Ltd. is a Chinese developer of facial recognition software.

The Girls of Enghelab protests are protests against the compulsory hijab in Iran, part of the wider Iranian Democracy Movement. The protests were inspired by Vida Movahed, an Iranian woman known as the Girl of Enghelab Street, who stood in the crowd on a utility box on Enghelab Street in Tehran on 27 December 2017 during the 2017–2018 Iranian protests who tied a white headscarf, to a stick, and waved it to the crowd as a flag. She was arrested on that day and was released temporary on bail a month later, on 28 January 2018. Some people interpreted Movahed's action as being based on Masih Alinejad's call for White Wednesdays, a protest movement that the presenter at VOA Persian Television started in early 2017. Other women later re-enacted her protest and posted photos of their actions on social media. These women are described as the "Girls of Enghelab Street" and the "Girls of Revolution Street" in English sources. Some of the protesters however claim that they were not following Masih Alinejad's call. The protests intensified in 2022 due to the death of Mahsa Amini.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Megvii</span> Chinese technology company

Megvii is a Chinese technology company that designs image recognition and deep-learning software. Based in Beijing, the company develops artificial intelligence (AI) technology for businesses and for the public sector.

Clearview AI is an American facial recognition company, providing software to law enforcement and government agencies and other organizations. The company's algorithm matches faces to a database of more than 20 billion images collected from the Internet, including social media applications. Founded by Hoan Ton-That and Richard Schwartz, the company maintained a low profile until late 2019, when its usage by law enforcement was reported. U.S. police have used the software to apprehend suspected criminals. Clearview's practices have led to fines by EU nations for violating privacy laws and investigations in the U.S. and other countries as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Algorithmic Justice League</span> Digital advocacy non-profit organization

The Algorithmic Justice League (AJL) is a digital advocacy non-profit organization based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 2016 by computer scientist Joy Buolamwini, the AJL uses research, artwork, and policy advocacy to increase societal awareness regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in society and the harms and biases that AI can pose to society. The AJL has engaged in a variety of open online seminars, media appearances, and tech advocacy initiatives to communicate information about bias in AI systems and promote industry and government action to mitigate against the creation and deployment of biased AI systems. In 2021, Fast Company named AJL as one of the 10 most innovative AI companies in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Death of Mahsa Amini</span> Death of a woman following dress code-related arrest in Iran

On 16 September 2022, 22-year-old Iranian woman Mahsa Amini, also known as Jina Amini, died in a hospital in Tehran, Iran, under suspicious circumstances. The Guidance Patrol, the religious morality police of Iran's government, arrested Amini for allegedly not wearing the hijab in accordance with government standards. The Law Enforcement Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran stated that she had a heart attack at a police station, collapsed, and fell into a coma before being transferred to a hospital. However, eyewitnesses, including women who were detained with Amini, reported that she was severely beaten and that she died as a result of police brutality, which was denied by the Iranian authorities. The assertions of police brutality, in addition to leaked medical scans, led some observers to believe Amini had a cerebral hemorrhage or stroke due to head injuries received after her arrest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mahsa Amini protests</span> Iranian protest movement since September 2022

Civil unrest and protests against the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran associated with the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini began on 16 September 2022 and carried on into 2023, but were said to have "dwindled" or "died down" by spring of 2023. As of September 2023, the "ruling elite" of Iran was said to remain "deeply entrenched" in power. The protests were described as "unlike any the country had seen before", the "biggest challenge" to the government, and "most widespread revolt", since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

This is a broad timeline of the ongoing series of protests against the government of Iran, sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on 16 September 2022. Amini had fallen into a coma after having been detained by the Guidance Patrol, allegedly for wearing an "improper" hijab—in violation of Iran's mandatory hijab law—while visiting Tehran from Saqqez.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Compulsory hijab in Iran</span> Islamic dress code and custom

Hijab in Iran, the traditional head covering worn by Muslim women for modesty for centuries, have been practiced as a compulsion supported by law in Iran after the 1979 revolution. In the 1920s, a few women started to appear unveiled. Under Reza Shah, it was discouraged and then banned in 1936 for five years. Under Reza Shah's successor, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, hijab was considered "backward" and rarely worn by upper and middle-class people. Consequently, it became a symbol of opposition to the shah in 1970s, and was worn by women who previously would have been unveiled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anti-facial recognition mask</span> Mask used to fool facial recognition software

An anti-facial recognition mask is a mask which can be worn to confuse facial recognition software. This type of mask is designed to thwart the surveillance of people by confusing the biometric data. There are many different types of masks which are used to trick facial recognition technology.

References

  1. ↑ "Iran: Government surveillance capacity and control, including media censorship and surveillance of individual Internet activity". Archived from the original on 2019-06-16. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  2. ↑ "Special Report: Chinese firm helps Iran spy on citizens'". Reuters. 22 March 2012. Archived from the original on 2022-04-27. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  3. ↑ "Iran 'hides spyware in wallpaper, restaurant and games apps'". BBC News. 8 February 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-08-07. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  4. ↑ Mosley, Tate Ryan (December 15, 2021). "This huge Chinese company is selling video surveillance systems to Iran". MIT Technology Review. Archived from the original on April 4, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Tiandy: The Chinese Company Sells Surveillance & Repression Tools to IRGC". Iran True. December 16, 2021. p. 1. Archived from the original on December 16, 2021. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Chinese company sells video surveillance systems to Iran". Market Research Telecast. December 21, 2021. Archived from the original on August 31, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  7. ↑ Ikeda, Scott (January 6, 2022). "Chinese Company Found to be Selling Video Surveillance Systems to Iran; Product Line Includes "Ethnicity Tracking," Accessories for Torture Chairs". CPO Magazine. Archived from the original on January 20, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  8. ↑ "The AI Assault on Women: What Iran's Tech Enabled Morality Laws Indicate for Women's Rights Movements". Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  9. ↑ Taylor, Guy (February 15, 2018). "Iran Devising Phone Apps For 'Mass Surveillance' of Dissidents, New Report Says". National Council of Resistance of Iran U.S Representative Office. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  10. ↑ Taylor, Guy (February 16, 2018). "Iran devising apps for 'mass surveillance' of regime opponents: Report". AP News. p. 1. Archived from the original on August 31, 2022. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  11. ↑ Taylor, Guy (February 15, 2018). "Iran devising apps for 'mass surveillance' of regime opponents: Report". The Washington Times. p. 1. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Iran tightens grip on internet freedom". DW. February 15, 2022. Archived from the original on March 25, 2022. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  13. ↑ Castro, Chiara (March 26, 2022). "Using a VPN may be a crime under strict new Iran Internet law". Tech Radar.Pro. p. 1. Archived from the original on March 29, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  14. ↑ Rubin, Michael (December 10, 2019). "Evolution of Iranian surveillance strategies toward the internet and social media". AIE. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Human rights groups condemn 'draconian' Iranian internet bill". Arab News. March 17, 2022. p. 1. Archived from the original on April 2, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Security Official Threatens More Internet Censorship As Iran Moves Towards Intranet". Radio Farda. September 7, 2020. p. 1. Archived from the original on September 21, 2021. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  17. ↑ "ی کی از فرماندهان سابق سپاه: منبع موثق در پزشکی قانونی". BBC News فارسی (in Persian). 2022-09-29. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  18. ↑ "Remembering Mahsa Amini: Women Journalists Advancing Women, Peace & Security Principles". Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "The AI Assault on Women: What Iran's Tech Enabled Morality Laws Indicate for Women's Rights Movements". Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  20. 1 2 3 "China turbocharging crackdown on Iranian women, say experts". euronews. 2023-04-14. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  21. 1 2 Lin, Benoit Faucon and Liza. "WSJ News Exclusive | U.S. Weighs Sanctions for Chinese Companies Over Iran Surveillance Buildup". WSJ. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
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