The Hijab Bill and AI: Iran's Digital Repression of Women

The Islamic Republic of Iran is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance its oppressive measures against women, targeting those who do not adhere to the country's strict hijab laws. The Hijab and Chastity Bill, approved by the Iranian Parliament in September 2023, empowers authorities to use AI for facial recognition, CCTV footage analysis, and internet monitoring to identify and punish non-compliant women.

The Islamic Republic of Iran's relentless suppression of its populace has taken a sinister turn with the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) to bolster its digital repression. The Iranian regime has recognized the potential of AI to enhance its control over citizens, particularly women who challenge its oppressive religious laws.

The passage of the Hijab and Chastity Bill in September 2023 marked a significant escalation in the regime's crackdown on women. Article 30 of the bill mandates the creation and strengthening of "intelligent systems" for identifying violators of hijab regulations. This entails the extensive use of fixed and mobile cameras to monitor public spaces.

Private businesses are obligated to provide video footage to enforcement personnel under Article 60 of the bill. Businesses that fail to comply face severe financial penalties, including the loss of two to six months of profits. Women who fail to properly cover their hair face a range of consequences, from fines to imprisonment for up to ten years.

Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, explains that the Hijab and Chastity Bill empowers authorities to use AI as a weapon against women. It enables the regime to target non-compliant women's homes, cars, bank accounts, and livelihoods through a combination of "lawfare and economic warfare."

"This is gender apartheid," says Taleblu. "The bill allows Iran to govern through systemic discrimination with the intention of suppressing women and girls into total submission."

Long before the passage of the Hijab and Chastity Bill, the Iranian regime began preparing for increased AI use. As early as April 2023, new cameras were installed throughout Iran. Amnesty International reported increased pressure on Iranian women between April 15 and June 14, 2023.

During this period, police issued nearly 1 million warning messages to women captured without veils in their cars. Over 133,000 vehicle immobilizations were ordered, and more than 4,000 "repeat offenders" were referred to the judiciary. Between April 2023 and March 2024, Amnesty International found that the morality police had ordered the confiscation of hundreds of thousands of vehicles due to improper veiling by occupants.

Testimony from victims indicates that confiscation orders were based on surveillance camera footage or reports from plainclothes agents using a police app to report license plates. Amnesty also reported that some women were sentenced to prison or flogging, fined, or sent to "morality" classes.

The regime likely deployed AI during the 2022 protests following the death of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for wearing her hijab loosely. UN fact-finder Sara Hossain concluded that the Iranian regime monitored social media during protests using AI.

In October 2023, the US accelerated its timeline for blocking AI chip exports to China, Iran, and Russia to limit their access to advanced AI capabilities. Taleblu recommends additional measures to restrict tech access that could strengthen Iran's digital repressive apparatus.

He suggests that the US work with European companies to increase export controls and closely monitor new Chinese tech subsidiaries operating in Iran. By continuously exposing and sanctioning new firms, the US can raise their transaction costs.

"There is talk of tech and cyberspace and AI freeing people and building bridges," says Taleblu, "but the Islamic Republic is really intending to use them to build boundaries and then continue to wall off Iran and impose their will on the population."