Justin Bieber’s abs are being ousted from Iran. Apparently because they’re too “racy.” (Cue the collective lol.)
In an attempt rid its country of overtly sexual images, censors have blocked various Instagram accounts that they deem too provocative. According the Associated Press, officials in Iran have not only blocked the Biebs’ account, but also 983 others, including Kim Kardashian’s and Jennifer Lopez’s. They’ve also banned a slew of fashion accounts belonging to brands like Burberry, Gucci, and Jimmy Choo. But despite the official ban, Iranians are still able to access the so-called "racy" Instagram pages, which is causing censors to lose their shit.
According to London-based research group Small Media, the accounts became visible earlier this month when Instagram began “encrypting collections between smartphones and the site's servers.” The change made it nearly impossible for third parties to indicate whose accounts Iranians are viewing—resulting in a lot of skin on social media feeds.
Iranian censors have not made any announcement on how they will address the issue; probably because they have yet to come up with a solution.
Mahmood Enayat, who works for Small Media, told AP that the country’s smart filtering policy is "a complete failure,” and that the “case of Instagram shows it's not going to work.”
