The hacker group “Justice Ali,” by publishing portions of confidential documents from Islamic Azad University, has laid bare the true operation of the monitoring system “Search.” According to these documents, the primary purpose of this system—which has been installed in 45 Islamic Azad University campuses—is not to facilitate student affairs but to observe, track, and control students’ attire and behavior.
These documents show that the system is directly connected to the National Civil Registration Database and, through the deployment of hundreds of cameras, monitors all university campuses. Students’ facial images are continuously recorded and stored in a security database bearing striking similarities to North Korea’s surveillance mechanisms.
The cameras of the “Search” system are even active in corridors and public spaces of Islamic Azad University buildings, recording every movement of students. Available evidence indicates that this information is used to prepare for and respond rapidly to “gatherings and suspicious activities” or “inciting actions.”
