Since the 1979 revolution, the wearing of hijab by women has been compulsory in Iran. Failure to cover the head can result in women being fined or in more serious cases jailed. Recently, according to a report by The Guardian, the Iranian government will use facial recognition technology to identify and then punish women who do not cover their private parts in public.
Cameras with this technology will be placed in public transport areas and vehicles. Guidelines for permissible clothing and veiling by women have been tightened in Iran. This created a wave of protests where women took off their hijabs in public areas with videos then shared on social media.
Facial recognition technology will help the authorities, especially the Department of Promoting Virtue and Preventing Vice, to identify offenders before punishing them.
In addition to the facial recognition system, female government employees will also be fired if their social media profile picture does not comply with sharia law. Women who are found not to cover their aurat on social media can be jailed for up to a year. Access to enter the premises of government offices, banks and public transport will also be blocked if you fail to cover your aurat.
The system used in Iran is similar to the system used in China to punish citizens who break the law by having their social credits cut off, preventing them from buying plane tickets, trains or leaving the country.