Iran launches citizen-reporting app to spy on its overseas diaspora
Iran has introduced a platform called Alaj that urges residents to submit tips on Iranians living abroad, turning ordinary citizens into informants.
Iran unveiled a new surveillance scheme named Alaj, inviting citizens to report Iranians abroad who are perceived as threatening national security. The service operates through an online portal, a Telegram chatbot and Iran’s Bale messaging app, and was advertised on state television and by the Revolutionary Guard-affiliated Fars News Agency. After a brief public rollout, the website was shut down amid backlash, though the reasons remain contested.
Alaj alleges it has catalogued about 1,600 people, with around 600 identified via public submissions, but independent verification is lacking. Analysts warn that the platform intimidates the diaspora, prompting self-censorship and heightened anxiety for those with relatives in Iran. The initiative reflects a broader strategy of extending domestic control mechanisms to overseas communities.
Why it matters
The program extends Iran's internal surveillance to its diaspora, threatening free expression and safety of Iranians abroad.
How the sides frame it
MODERATE AGREEMENTCentrist coverage presents the London trial as a legal proceeding with prosecutor statements and defendants’ claims, while right-leaning coverage emphasizes the Iranian espionage threat, portraying the case as part of a broader intimidation campaign against the diaspora and highlighting the controversial citizen-reporting app.
CENTER
Centrist coverage treats the story as a court case, reporting prosecutor allegations, defendants’ defenses, and labeling the defendants’ motives as “bogus” according to the prosecution.
RIGHT
Right-leaning coverage frames the story as evidence of Iran’s expansive spying operations, stressing the intimidation of the overseas diaspora and linking the trial to a wider retributive espionage strategy.
The right emphasises
- Iran’s new app “Alaj” invites citizens to report Iranians abroad, prompting self-censorship
- the trial is portrayed as part of a broader Iranian effort to intimidate and retaliate against critics
- analysts warn the platform could heighten anxiety among the diaspora
In this story
