Iranian authorities have blocked several social media accounts, including a popular blind dating show on Instagram, according to a report by the Tasnim news agency on Monday.
The action was taken in response to complaints from families about the social, cultural, and moral impact of the affected pages, a senior police officer stated.
As part of the crackdown, 15 individuals have been detained, summoned, or warned. Among those targeted was the widely followed Instagram account ‘vinyvids,’ which has approximately 1.2 million followers.
The account features a YouTube dating show where two strangers are asked personal questions by a presenter before rating each other. This format is likely to have drawn criticism from conservative Islamic circles in Iran, where both Instagram and YouTube are officially banned.
Social media platforms can only be accessed in the country through virtual private networks (VPNs).
Young Iranians have increasingly pushed back against the influence of clerical politics. In the autumn of 2022, nationwide protests erupted under the slogan “Woman, Life, Freedom” following the death of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman.
Since then, many women in urban areas have defied the Islamic dress code as a form of protest and self-expression.
dpa/NAN
