Social media network, Instagram and its parent company, Facebook have announced it will be deleting posts that support or give credence to killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, so as to comply with strict US sanctions against the Iranian regime.
Instagram deleted Soleimani’s account last April after the US State Department designated the Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps, headed by Soleimani as a terrorist organization, and have now taken new steps to stop Anti-US or pro-Soleimani propaganda from being posted on the platform.
Instagram is one of the few western social media platforms that is not blocked in Iran.
Facebook and Twitter are blocked in Iran because they are American companies and are believed to propagate American interests but some Iranians visit those sites using VPNs but Instagram is accessible in the country, but now Facebook has announced Instagram will be complying with US sanctions against Iran leading to outrage from the Iranian government.
The Iranian government has called for nationwide legal action against Instagram in protest, with Iran’s government spokesperson, Ali Rabiei, saying in a tweet that Instagram’s actions are “undemocratic.”
“We operate under US sanctions laws, including those related to the US government’s designation of the IRGC and its leadership,” a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement.
The Facebook statement comes after Iranian soccer player Alireza Jahanbakhsh, who has a verified Instagram account, posted a photo of Soleimani after his death, which Instagram deleted.
According to Instagram, posts supporting Terrorists groups or giving credence to their activities or their leaders are not allowed on the platform.
