Instagram's 'Rich Kids of Tehran' Has Been Shut Down

Instagram's 'Rich Kids of Tehran' Has Been Shut Down

The Rich Kids of Tehran, the controversial Iranian Instagram page which gained wide attention in international media, appears to have been shut down. The page was now in private, a note on the page reads "This page has currently been shut down to the high amount of false publicity."

Earlier this week, the page administrators told Business Insider:

"The aim of our page is to show the world the good side of Iran. Every time Iran is mentioned on TV or news, they always talk negatively and we are trying to show the good side"

A disclaimer on the site later read:

"This page is in no way political and we never had any bad intentions. We never thought the page would make headlines all over the world."

It appears the page is now inaccessible. Until now, it is unknown whether this is due to the wishes of the page administrators, or government censorship, as claimed by Mashable.

Instagram and other social networks are blocked by internet filters in Iran, but most young Iranians have simple software which works around for them enough to access the internet. It's not uncommon for the government to crack down on certain sites. 

Rich Kids of Tehran launched less than a month ago, quickly gaining media attention around the world, as well as almost 100,000 followers. 

The exhibitions of wealth and sexuality is a surprise to many, both inside and outside the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is subject to strict international sanctions and Islamic laws that prohibit alcohol and immodest dressing. Many of those pictured in the feed were said to be children of Iran's elite. Now, all of the account's more than 300 photos have been removed from Instagram.

Also read: "Rich Kids Of Tehran" Instagram Account Abruptly Deletes Photos

It would appear the wealthy and powerful have suffered little under sanctions compared with millions of others in the country. The site also recently spawned another Iranian Instagram account, Poor Kids of Tehran, which highlights images of Iranian street children.

Now in the real picture: more than two-thirds of Iran's population is now under 35, and it appears they are rejecting the Islamic revolutionary values of their elders who supported Islamic rule. The biggest challenge to Iran's revolutionary hardliners may just come from their own children.

Tags : instagram Instagram Account Instagram Rich Kids of Tehran Instagram Rich Kids of Tehran News Instagram Rich Kids of Tehran Update Instagram Rich Kids of Tehran Latest News Instagram Rich Kids of Tehran Shut Down