Protesters – and police – deploy tech in fight for future of Iran

A police motorcycle burns during a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini, a woman who died after being arrested by the morality police, in Tehran. — West Asia News Agency via Reuters

Lima and her friends in Tehran fear arrest, beatings and even death by joining mass protests demanding more rights and a new leadership in Iran. But a yearning for change and a kit bag of tech, from mobile apps to encrypted chat, have kept them going.

Struggling to suppress the biggest show of dissent in years, Iran’s authorities have also turned to technology, using delivery apps, Twitter and facial recognition to track protesters, eavesdrop on opponents and harass women who defy their strict dress code, rights campaigners said.