Meta deletes Facebook and Instagram accounts of Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei

Meta announced on the 9th (local time) that it has deleted the Instagram and Facebook accounts of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran.

According to foreign media, Meta explained the reason for the deletion in a statement, saying that Khamenei "repeatedly violated our policies related to dangerous organizations and individuals."

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, is giving a speech at a rally held in the capital, Tehran, on the 8th (local time).
[Image source=Yonhap News]

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The policy cited by Meta as the basis for the deletion states that "we do not allow individuals or organizations that declare violent missions or engage in violence, including those designated as terrorists by the U.S. government, to exist on our platform."

Meta did not directly mention the Israel-Hamas war this time. However, since Hamas, the Palestinian armed faction, launched a surprise attack on Israel in October last year, Khamenei has voiced praise for it on social media, increasing pressure on Meta to delete his accounts.

In a speech immediately after the Hamas attack, Khamenei said, "I kiss the hands of those who planned the attack against the Zionist regime (Israel)."

While Iran has banned its citizens from using Instagram and Facebook, Meta has been criticized for allowing Khamenei to continue using these social media platforms.

Khamenei's Instagram account had about 5 million followers.

Meanwhile, Mark Zuckerberg, the founder and CEO of Meta, is Jewish.

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