A U.N. fact-finding mission into Iran's treatment of women reported that the Islamic republic was resorting to extreme measures in its drive to restrict their rights, including electronic surveillance and camera-drones.

GENEVA (AP) — Iran increasingly relies on electronic surveillance and the public to inform on women refusing to wear the country's mandatory headscarf in public, even as hard-liners push for harsher penalties for those protesting the law, a United Nations report released Friday found.

The report highlights Iran’s escalating reliance on technology to monitor and punish women defying the mandatory dress code. Central to this crackdown is the “Nazer” mobile application, a government-backed tool that allows citizens and police to report women for alleged violations.

Iranian officials are encouraging people to report women who refuse to obey the Islamic republic's dress code, according to a UN report.

Iranian authorities are deploying drones, facial recognition technology, and mobile applications to monitor and punish women who defy the country’s mandatory hijab laws, the United Nations has warned.

Then, according to the report, the app "triggers a text message (in real-time) to the registered owner of the vehicle, warning them that they had been found in violation of the mandatory hijab laws, and that their vehicles would be impounded for ignoring these warnings.

Tehran began using aerial drone surveillance and a new facial recognition software in April 2024 to monitor hijab compliance in public spaces.

The UN report reveals Iran has intensified use of surveillance and digital tools to enforce strict hijab laws. Allegations of human rights violations, including torture and executions, have been highlighted,