In a chilling development, Iran’s regime has recently endorsed a highly contentious bill that endows the government with unprecedented authority to intrude into the personal lives of its citizens. This bill has ignited a furious debate, casting profound shadows over individual freedoms, human rights, and the extent to which a government can surveil the daily lives of its people.
A closer look at the bill
Not long has passed since the ratification of the contentious ‘Efaf and Hijab’ (Chastity and hijab) bill, which triggered objections over an article in the 7th Development Plan. This specific article empowers Iran’s regime to scrutinize and regulate even the most mundane aspects of people’s lives, including their everyday purchases.
Critics of this article have pointed fingers at certain members of the regime’s parliament. In the latest incident, a parliament member voiced concerns that the government aims to pry into ‘all the intricacies of people’s private lives’ with this legislation.
Jalal Rashidi Kochi, a parliament member, recently voiced his concerns to local media, stating, ‘Article 75 of the 7th Development Plan is alarming, as its intent is no longer confined to mere intrusion into people’s privacy. “When I piece together fragments from various sources, it becomes apparent that certain parties intend to scrutinize every facet of people’s private lives.”
He added, “Individuals with their unique perspectives seem fervently inclined to delve into personal privacy, which, I must emphasize, is reprehensible and illegal.”
In paragraph b of Article 75 of the 7th development plan, the regime’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, in collaboration with the Iranian Statistics Center, is mandated to ‘establish a system for continuous observation, monitoring, and measurement of indicators related to public culture and people’s lifestyles.’
Furthermore, this paragraph stipulates that ‘government agencies and custodians of relevant databases must continually and comprehensively provide data to this system through online means.’
The full text of clause b of Article 75 of the 7th development plan reads:
“To facilitate the accurate and online collection of statistical data required for processing, precise analysis, and the creation of a suitable platform for future studies on lifestyle trends within Iranian society, recognizing cultural-communication advancements, and their dissemination, the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance is obliged to collaborate with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting Organization and the Statistics Center of Iran. This cooperation, under the guidance and supervision of the Monitoring and Planning and Evaluation Center of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, is meant to establish a system for continuous monitoring and evaluation of indicators related to public culture, people’s lifestyles, media influence, and the state of communication within the country. Executive bodies and custodians of databases covered by this paragraph are obligated to continually and comprehensively furnish data to this system through online channels.”
The Tejarat News website expounded on this matter, stating, “Should this article be ratified, all domestic platforms used by individuals would be mandated to record even the most intimate details of their users, including commuting activities, purchases of goods and services, and even grocery orders. This information would be required to be continuously reported to the government.”
Tejarat News further elaborated that the information and data required for this system would be sourced from the Statistics Center of Iran and the user information available on domestic platforms.
In the preamble of this article, it is mentioned that these measures will be taken to “promote the Islamic-Iranian way of life, enhance national unity and self-confidence, bolster national identity, and foster a spirit of resilience, hard work, and dedication within society.”
However, Gholamreza Nouri Qazaljeh, another parliament member, had previously commented on this specific article of the 7th development plan, stating, “The establishment of such a system blatantly intrudes into people’s privacy and runs counter to the spirit and certain principles of the constitution. Thus, this invasive surveillance is unwarranted and unnecessary.”
During an interview with local media, he added, “With the exception of North Korea, China, and some parts of Russia, few countries in the world subject their citizens to such extensive invasions of their privacy.”
Mohammad Hossein Zarei, a public law professor at Tehran’s Beheshti University, also weighed in on the matter during an interview, citing Article 9 of the Constitution, which asserts that “no official has the authority to curtail lawful freedoms in the name of safeguarding the country’s independence and territorial integrity, even through the enactment of laws and regulations.”
According to this public law professor, such legislation by the regime is largely a result of the ‘cognitive and perceptual gap,’ which contributes to the disconnect between the government and the people.
These apprehensions and objections come at a time when the review of the 7th Development Plan bill is still ongoing in the regime’s parliament, with parliamentary authorities yet to address the criticisms and concerns raised.
There are growing concerns regarding the ratification of Article 75 of this program. The regime, fearing new protests, especially has resorted to implementing bills like this and the so-called ‘Chastity and Hijab’ bill.
Previously, the regime’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei had repeatedly urged government authorities and media and propaganda organizations affiliated with the government to focus on the lifestyle of the Iranian people, emphasizing the ‘Iranian-Islamic way of life.’
In line with this, the establishment of a ‘lifestyle monitoring’ system, if implemented, is perceived as a fresh initiative by the regime’s authorities to fulfill the leader’s wishes.
Nevertheless, daily reports, even in regime media outlets, indicate that a substantial portion of the population is resisting the regime’s imposed measures by defying the ‘mandatory hijab.’
While the regime continually imposes new restrictions on individuals, businesses, and service providers that accept women who reject the mandatory hijab, this article in the regime’s 7th development plan, seeks to empower the hands of those in charge to define these cultural benchmarks based on their personal preferences and criteria.
