Women Under Watch: AI Facial Recognition, Privacy, and Resistance in Iran's Surveillance Society

Facial recognition in restrictive societies

Iranian authorities have implemented new surveillance measures in public spaces, installing cameras to identify women not complying with mandatory hijab laws. Images captured by these cameras will be used to detect those not wearing a hijab. The rise of AI-powered facial recognition is reshaping privacy concerns globally. While marketed for safety and security, facial recognition technology also poses significant risks to personal freedom, particularly in societies where surveillance is used to enforce cultural norms or laws.

What has been happening in Iran

According to The Guardian “Since 2015, the Iranian government has been phasing in biometric identity cards, which include a chip that stores data such as iris scans, fingerprints and facial images.”

In countries like Iran, where women are required by law to wear the hijab, AI surveillance intensifies the pressure to conform. This surveillance not only invades personal privacy but also infringes on women’s autonomy, making it harder for them to express their identities or resist restrictive norms.

“Other women say they are being photographed by strangers in public and that facial recognition tech is being used to identify them.” says the website Biometric update in their article about the recents updates on facial recognition in Iran. With this level of access, the question becomes urgent: how can individuals truly protect their privacy?

Manifiesto collection

Fashion can become a shield in the quest for freedom and privacy. Cap_able offers a way to reclaim personal freedom, especially for women under strict surveillance regimes, such as in Iran. The Manifiesto collection integrates adversarial patterns in knitwear, designed to disrupt facial recognition algorithms, providing women autonomy from the restrictive laws of the country.

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