Iran Built a Digital Dragnet to Hunt Down Protesters

Iran has built a sophisticated digital surveillance machine — and it's using it to track down its own citizens.

Researchers have detailed how the country's monitoring capabilities are deeply integrated across its communications and internet networks. This isn't bolt-on spyware. It's baked into the infrastructure itself.

The system was recently deployed to identify and locate antigovernment protesters. After crushing demonstrations, Iranian authorities began restoring some online services — but with a catch. The restored access comes paired with what researchers describe as a technological dragnet designed to sweep up dissidents.

The approach represents a growing trend among authoritarian regimes: weaponizing the very networks people depend on for daily life. Instead of simply shutting down the internet, Iran is keeping it running — and watching everything that flows through it.