Iran, like China, has some of the world’s most expansive known surveillance abilities. These digital surveillance abilities have received less attention than the internet blackouts that the government imposed during the violent crackdown to end the protests last month. In the years since, censorship tools were used to block information and various online services, while surveillance systems let authorities identify and track opponents, according to researchers at Project Ainita, a group focused on Iran’s digital networks. In about 2019, the government created a centralised digital identity that links a citizen’s personal identity and his or her digital behaviour, according to researchers. Civil society groups and security researchers have raised alarms about the government’s secretly subverting digital tools that Iranians use to avoid censorship and surveillance.

Source: The Irish Times February 15, 2026 12:04 UTC