Last month, Iran introduced a new decree enforcing that women wear hijabs in all public spaces and on social media postings. This will be tracked by the government’s facial recognition software that was previously used during the pandemic to track if people were wearing face masks. Women’s rights activists have openly defied the mandate for years. Still, this new crackdown and surveillance model that mirrors China’s surveillance system may have severe repercussions for women. Amir Rashidi, the director of internet security and digital rights at Miaan Group, a Texas-based organization that tracks and analyzes Iran’s internet policy and online censorship, talks to The World’s Marco Werman.
The story you just read is not locked behind a paywall because listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Now more than ever, we need your help to support our global reporting work and power the future of The World. Can we count on you?