Are Instagram Creators Supporting Iran’s Protesters? | Tech Reddy

Many Instagram followers outside of Iran are posting stories to draw attention to the oppression Iranians face, including murder and torture. They say their positions are essential to get information from a country where the internet is restricted. But some fans are reporting that their accounts are being demoted, reported or banned in response to Instagram.

“As women in the US fight to maintain their physical independence, we should look to Iran as a lesson in what happens to women,” said Kusha Alagband @Kusha_Alagband an Iranian e based in the US has more than 127,000 followers and claims to have been misled. The shadow was banned by Instagram after its political campaign. “Iran went from a simple country to an oppressive regime overnight. It’s a warning for all of us.

The protests in Iran began in response to the death of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by the moral police for wearing an “unfortunate hijab” on September 13th, 2022 and died in prison, it is said after the sentence to death. The first protests took place after Amini’s funeral in the western city of Saqqez, when women tore off their heads in solidarity.

Alagband said that after Amini’s death he published a story about an encounter he had with the moral police during a trip to Iran, without any promises or calls to violence. This comment was removed for violating community guidelines. Amani has tried to appeal and opened 12 support tickets but he is not being contacted. His account was suspended for a week and he was no longer able to earn money on the platform.

“I support the revolution because everything I stand for is that people are killed for the rights and values ​​of the world,” said Golsa Golestaneh, an Iranian content producer @golsa_g . “I’m Iranian. My account has been hit many times, my content has been removed, the authorities are still warning me to lose my account. A video sharing police violence in Iran was removed.

After Amini’s death, a major protest movement took hold in Iran. Major street demonstrations led by women are supported by broad sections of society. The government reacted quickly. By the end of October it was reported that security forces had killed 244 protesters and arrested more than 12,000 but these numbers are difficult to verify and could be higher. Young protesters have been arrested, tortured and killed. The government also says they can execute all political prisoners.

“The protests in Iran are the biggest human rights struggle of the 21st Century,” says Chelsea Hart @chelseahartisme with 218,000 followers on Instagram who have been banned after posting this campaign. “Iranians are also fighting to preserve their culture and history. They have given a lot to the world, and we deserve our support.

Shortly after Hart began reporting on Iran he discovered that his account had been decommissioned. This means that he is no longer able to collect money from videos, including videos that have nothing to do with Iran and the money made is kept by Meta, the parent company of Instagram.

Neither Meta nor Instagram responded to repeated requests for comment.

Hart says he was not informed of the reason for this. He says that at one protest a Meta representative came to him in person and said “we’re up.” But his account remained intact.

“I do a lot of work and take on controversial issues. I swear a lot. But I’ve never been as fired up as I am for reporting on Iran,” Hart said.

Hart’s posts have attracted attention from bots (automated accounts) run by the Iranian Government and hackers. Hart says these accounts contain misinformation and are not being vetted by the media.

Hart has also focused on the plight of solidarity protesters such as Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi. Rekabi competed in South Korea wearing the hijab that is mandatory for all female athletes in Iran.

“It was a silent protest. Her brother was kidnapped as revenge, and Rekabi was forced to give a false confession saying that she had simply forgotten her hijab, which she may not have worn all her life,” said Hart. Violent protests are common in Iran. Many westerners believed this confession. Rekabi is in prison and is not safe in Iran. We think that if someone is not in prison in Iran they are safe, but no one is safe in Iran under the current regime.

Hart believes that while the United States and Iran are not on good diplomatic terms, Western governments want to negotiate with the Iranian government in order to gain access to their oil. To negotiate, the current government must be established as legitimate despite protests. This policy has trickled down into news and social media.

Alagband’s concept is different, there are people who are interested in the control that work in the moderation of the content in IG or are paid by the government. He said that all comments he receives on his posts are positive and unfiltered.

Other IG fans have reported cases such as banning, demoting, or deleting accounts. As part of Instagram and Meta’s management process, when an account is banned or canceled without a clear reason given, there is no way to contact a representative. This makes free speech a problem as more people rely on creator funding and social media as a revenue stream.

“I have a big following, Meta gets attention but a lot of small producers, especially the Iranians, don’t return their accounts,” Hart said. Hart added that many families of protesters who were killed or arrested are afraid to speak out for fear of retribution, and that the government has shut down internet access, so he believes his role to report on them.

Alagband, Hart and other creators are quick to point out that the impact on their lives has nothing to do with the oppression and violence faced by Iranian women. From reports from Iranians, the protest movement is growing. The American media has been apathetic as the news cycle continues.

These content creators believe that their voices are needed so that the world does not forget the cries of freedom of the Iranian people.