Islamic Republic Cyber Police Targets Virtual Stores on Instagram Considered 'Un-Islamic'

The Islamic Republic has targeted small shops and businesses selling 'un-Islamic' clothing and goods on social media, especially Instagram. According to AFP, some Instagram business owners in Iran report that the Islamic Republic's cyber police, known as FATA, have made their accounts inaccessible. These individuals state that images of their services and products on Instagram have been covered with messages indicating the page has been closed due to 'non-compliance with hijab and Islamic decorum' or 'publishing content contrary to public morals and decency.' Apparently, these pages have been taken down by court order, and the cyber police have informed the business owners of this action. While the notorious 'morality police' (of which the guidance patrol is a part) has had a diminished presence in society since the widespread protests last year and the 'Women, Life, Freedom' movement, it seems that the cyber police have seriously entered the scene. This force monitors the virtual space, attempting to impose its so-called 'moral' laws on small businesses on social media, most of which are owned by Iranian women. The Islamic Republic's cyber police are responsible for overseeing illegal virtual activities such as child pornography, fraud, and the sale of drugs and weapons. However, it appears that in recent months, the priorities of this force have shifted, and they are now keeping an eye on social media business owners. Social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, X, and messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram have been blocked in Iran for years, but millions of Iranians access them using VPNs to bypass censorship. Fashion designers and women's lingerie, tattoo artists, massage therapists, tour guides, beauticians, and many other businesses targeted by the cyber police promote what is considered a 'Western lifestyle.' Most of their promotional images or photos display women without Islamic hijab or women and men touching each other, which violates Sharia law in the Islamic Republic. After seizing the accounts of these businesses on social media, the cyber police issue a statement on the pages saying, 'This page has been closed by the police of production and information exchange,' which is the official name of the cyber police FATA. Thus, businesses that have spent years gathering thousands of followers and customers are being shut down. The motivations of virtual businesses are usually economic and have nothing to do with politics. Business owners cannot survive without the income they earn from selling their products on social media, especially Instagram. According to a survey published in 1400 (2021), there are over 415,000 small businesses on Instagram in Iran, and the jobs of over a million Iranians are directly and indirectly related to these small businesses on Instagram. Amnesty International in its recent report mentions a 'widespread campaign' by the Iranian government to enforce 'repressive' laws. Government agents arrested a 'prominent blogger' in Zahedan. Legal cases have been filed against five bloggers; the charge: publishing inappropriate videos and images. The United Nations has called for the dissolution of the 'morality police': any form of violence against women should be criminalized.