Instagram and Facebook are removing posts that support Qassem Soleimani, a top Iranian general and leader who was killed in a U.S.-sanctioned airstrike, according to CNN.
Coda Story reports that Iranian journalists, influencers, and human rights activists have had posts if not their entire accounts removed from the platform.
Instagram is one of the few Western social media sites not blocked in Iran. As such, many Iranians posted about Soleimani after his death. Facebook is blocked (as well as Twitter), but some people access it through VPN.
Facebook, which owns Instagram, says that it is complying with United States sanctions against Iran by removing the posts and accounts. “We operate under U.S. sanctions laws, including those related to the U.S. government’s designation of the IRGC and its leadership,” a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement provided to CNN. The spokesperson also said that people who feel like their posts were wrongfully removed can go through the appeals process. Read more…
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