Iranian authorities have increasingly relied on digital surveillance technology and internet control measures to monitor and track down protesters amid ongoing nationwide unrest, according to recent reports. As large-scale demonstrations continued into 2026, the government employed a range of digital tools including advanced network censorship systems, facial recognition cameras, and mobile data monitoring to identify and detain dissidents.
A new report by the British human rights group Article 19 detailed how Tehran’s regime expanded its digital repression infrastructure, drawing heavily on technology and tactics modelled on systems used in China. These digital controls enabled authorities to impose near-total internet shutdowns during key moments of the protests and to filter or monitor domestic online traffic.
The Iranian government’s use of digital surveillance is part of a broader clampdown that also involved cutting off access to international internet services, blocking social media platforms, and employing deep packet inspection to control the flow of information within the country. Experts say this infrastructure has been years in the making but was deployed with unprecedented intensity during the recent anti-government protests, leaving citizens with limited means to communicate or organise.
Human rights advocates have criticised these measures as severe violations of civil liberties, arguing that they not only suppress dissent but also deprive citizens of fundamental freedoms of expression and access to information. Some reports suggest the expanded digital apparatus is integrated with surveillance cameras supplied by foreign tech firms and biometric tools tied to state security forces.
Despite the technology-driven repression, protesters and digital rights activists have sought to circumvent restrictions using satellite internet and alternative data channels. However, the state’s tightened grip on connectivity continues to shape the dynamics of the protests and efforts to document events on the ground
