(AFP) – 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 told AFP, without elaborating. The channel was suspended on March 27, he added. 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. Meta did not respond to AFP’s request for comment.
Lashing out at YouTube, Explosive Media wrote on X: “Seriously! Are our LEGO-style animations actually violent?” YouTube’s suspension appeared to have limited impact on Explosive Media’s reach, with its videos still being widely shared by content creators on the platform. The satirical videos, which tap into American popular culture, caricatured Trump with an oversized yellow head and portrayed him as an old, isolated figure prone to childish tantrums, seemingly disconnected from reality.
After a two-week ceasefire was announced last week, the group posted a video on X with the caption: “TACO will always remain TACO,” referring to the acronym “Trump always chickens out.” With dramatic background music, the video depicts a Trump-like toy figure huddling with Arab leaders, hurling a chair at US military figures, while Iranian generals press a red button labelled “Back to the Stone Age,” unleashing a torrent of destruction across the Middle East.
Cartoonish video memes — amplified by Iranian diplomatic missions and pro-Tehran accounts on social media — are emerging as an effective information warfare tool, a phenomenon analysts have dubbed the “Legofication” of conflict propaganda. In recent weeks, viral meme videos have depicted fictional Iranian military victories, world leaders in subservient scenarios — dependent on Iranian leaders for oil — and even the strategic Strait of Hormuz reimagined as a cartoonish toll booth.
The English-language content of Explosive Media appears aimed at audiences outside Iran, where platforms like X have been blocked for years and are only accessible via VPN. With Iranians facing what monitor NetBlocks calls an “internet blackout,” the ability of Explosive Media to produce and upload slick content has fueled suspicion of ties to the Iranian regime. The group has rejected the claim as a “media distortion.”
– Anuj CHOPRA
© 2024 AFP
