YouTube has terminated a channel belonging to a pro-Iran group producing viral Lego-themed AI videos that ridicule US President Donald Trump, the Google-owned platform said Wednesday, sparking online criticism.
Explosive Media, a group of pro-Tehran creators that describes itself as independent but is widely suspected of ties to the Iranian government, has gained internet notoriety during the US-Iran war for animation videos that have racked up millions of views.
“We terminated the channel for violating our spam, deceptive practices and scams policies,” a YouTube spokesman tells AFP, without elaborating.
The channel was suspended on March 27, he adds.
Explosive Media was still posting videos mocking the US war effort on other tech platforms, including the Elon Musk-owned X and Telegram.
Meta-owned Instagram also took down the group’s account, US media reported, but another account under its name was still active on Wednesday.
Lashing out at YouTube, Explosive Media writes on X: “Seriously! Are our LEGO-style animations actually violent?”
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