A senior official overseeing hiring for government positions in Iran has acknowledged that authorities examine applicants’ social media accounts, particularly Instagram, as part of ideological vetting for government and public-sector positions.
Traditional background checks had lost effectiveness, prompting reliance on online activity, Mohammad Shahab Jalilvand, secretary of the High Selection Board, said in an interview aired on state television on Monday.
“Those with public pages and significant numbers of followers publish a personality of themselves on social media,” he said.
Authorities cannot monitor private messaging apps such as Telegram and WhatsApp, Jalilvand added.
Screening criticized
The Islamic Republic requires prospective employees, particularly in education and government, to undergo examinations of their political and religious views.
One of the most controversial areas has been the recruitment of teachers under the Ministry of Education. In recent years, reports have described intrusive questioning and discriminatory rejection of candidates.
Between three and six thousand applicants were barred from teaching jobs in late 2023 on political and religious grounds, according to the Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Union.
The vetting practices coincide with a broader tightening of online regulation. In January 2025, the Supreme Council of Cyberspace approved a resolution advertised as easing restrictions but in practice expanded surveillance. It empowered the government, judiciary and ministry of culture to police the online content and curb the VPNs.
Authorities have paired such measures with tactical enforcement. Internet shutdowns, such as during protests, and the deactivation of SIM cards belonging to activists and journalists, have become routine.
Surveillance tools are also deployed to enforce the mandatory hijab. Cameras and electronic readers have been used to identify women not donning the Islamic covering, with threatening messages sent not only to the women but to their families.
