---
title: "Anonymous Hacks Iran After Woman Allegedly Killed by “Morality Police”"
description: "Mahsa Amini Anonymous, the notorious hacking collective, is targeting the Iranian government amid widespread citizen protests sparked by the alleged murder of Mahsa Amini. \"The Anonymous collective launches a cyber operation against the Iranian government,\" the collective tweeted on Tuesday. Amini, a 22-year-old woman, was taken into custody by Iran's morality police on Friday for […]"
date: "2022-09-22"
modified: "2022-09-26"
authors:
  - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré"
    job_title: "Senior Staff Writer"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/anonymous-hacks-iranian-government"
categories:
  - "Cybersecurity"
  - "Future Society"
  - "Hacking"
tags:
  - "anonymous"
  - "hackers"
  - "iran"
  - "the digest"
---

# Anonymous Hacks Iran After Woman Allegedly Killed by “Morality Police”

![The hacking collective Anonymous is targeting the Iranian government amid widespread citizen protests sparked by the alleged murder of Mahsa Amini.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/anonymous-hacks-irans-state-websites-and-central-bank-amid-protests.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: \<a href="https://unsplash.com/@tar1k" target="\_blank"\>Tarik Haiga / Futurism\</a\>\</em\>*

## Mahsa Amini

Anonymous, the notorious hacking collective, is targeting the Iranian government amid [widespread citizen protests](<https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/21/world/middleeast/iran-protests-mahsa-amini.html>) sparked by the alleged murder of Mahsa Amini.

"The Anonymous collective launches a cyber operation against the Iranian government," the collective [tweeted on Tuesday](<https://twitter.com/YourAnonOne/status/1572305056489168896>).

Amini, a 22-year-old woman, was taken into custody by Iran's morality police on Friday for wearing an "improper" hijab. She was later rushed to the hospital, where she spent three days in a coma before being taken off life support. While state officials claim that she simply fell ill, it's widely believed that the young woman was beaten to death by "morality" officers.

"This was the last straw. The people are mobilized and the streets are filled with cries of freedom and the shouts of brave people," said an altered voice in a video, claiming to be from Anonymous. "The Iranian people are not alone."

https://twitter.com/YourAnonOne/status/1572305200701898755

## Government Restrictions

Anonymous has already rendered multiple [state-run websites](<https://twitter.com/YourAnonSpider/status/1572713941448417280>) inoperable, [according to *Al Jazeera*](<https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/9/21/anonymous-hacks-iran-state-websites-after-mahsa-aminis-death>). And as of this morning, the hacking collective claims to have infiltrated or dismantled [Iranian state television](<https://twitter.com/YourAnonOne/status/1572959424313974784>), more than [300 security cameras](<https://twitter.com/YourAnonOne/status/1572850458955337729>), and the country's [Central Bank.](<https://twitter.com/YourAnonSpider/status/1572521377839874049>)

Importantly, the hackers also say they've developed a tool that allows Iranian citizens to bypass [state restrictions on communication channels](<https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-restricts-access-instagram-netblocks-2022-09-21/>) and social platforms including WhatsApp and Instagram. Disrupting communication pathways is an anti-protest tool often used by authoritarian governments. Limiting the dissemination of information limits internal and external awareness of what, exactly, is happening, in turn making it easier to control the narrative. Offering ways through and around those state-set limitations feels significant.

Per *Al Jazeera*, the Iranian government has yet to officially comment on Anonymous' claims.

## Citizen Action

The situation in Iran is intense and violent. A few protestors [have died](<https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/four-iranian-police-officers-injured-one-assistant-killed-after-protests-irna-2022-09-21/>), and police have reportedly been using [teargas and batons](<https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/iranian-police-fire-tear-gas-at-rally-after-womans-funeral/2022/09/17/6e261484-3694-11ed-a0d6-415299bfebd5_story.html>) to disperse crowds. Amini's death, however, seems to have lit a match, with residents taking to the streets and women throughout the country defying the country's morality laws by[ cutting their hair](<https://twitter.com/GEsfandiari/status/1572268954684653571?s=20&t=CCEz_4ALm4BlI2JoXQ6V1Q>) and [burning their hijabs](<https://twitter.com/ranarahimpour/status/1572295695037796353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1572295695037796353%7Ctwgr%5E7c5d84d0e04e8c7481300de4306484cf34602ad8%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fnews%2Fworld-middle-east-62967381>).

"Killings after killings," yelled student protesters, gathered at a university campus in Tehran, [as seen in a video](<https://twitter.com/ICHRI/status/1572231158498205696?s=20&t=CCEz_4ALm4BlI2JoXQ6V1Q>), "to hell with morality police!

Though the next few days are uncertain, one thing appears to be true: the people of Iran have a massive amount of international support on their side, including that of Anonymous.

**READ MORE:** [*'Anonymous'* hacks Iran state websites after Mahsa Amini's death](<https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/9/21/anonymous-hacks-iran-state-websites-after-mahsa-aminis-death>) \[*Al Jazeera\]*

**More on government hacking:** *[Hackers Declare War on Anti-Abortion States](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/hackers-anti-abortion-states>)*

## Author
At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride."

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/mharrisondupre.bsky.social>)