Youngest vlogger Muhammad Shiraz’s Instagram account suspended

GILGIT: Gilgit-Baltistan’s youngest vlogger, Muhammad Shiraz, who gained remarkable success on YouTube in a short span of time, has suffered a major setback as his Instagram account with 2.1 million followers has been suspended.

In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Shirazi Village Vlogs, having 1.76 million subscribers, his father, Muhammad Taqi, broke the news. He stated that Shiraz’s account was suspended without any prior warning, calling the situation “deeply distressing”.

Taqi explained that he received an email around 1 AM on January 27 notifying him about the suspension. However, after filing an appeal, the account completely disappeared.

“It’s a common perception that Shiraz gained overnight fame, and to some extent, that may be true. But behind the scenes, it took two to three years of my hard work to get him to this level,” he said.

Highlighting the financial impact of the suspension, Taqi mentioned that Instagram was their primary source of income through paid promotions. “Instagram was extremely important for us,” he emphasized.

Regarding possible reasons for the suspension, he speculated that it might be due to Instagram’s strict policies for child influencers. He also noted that YouTube’s algorithm has been restricting their content as it falls under the Made for Kids category, limiting its reach.

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“Shiraz used to get millions of views on YouTube, but now his views have significantly dropped due to the platform’s algorithm, which restricts content created by kids to child audiences only,” he explained.

Taqi advised fellow content creators who make videos with children to mix their content with adult-oriented material to avoid similar restrictions.

In a follow-up video, Taqi expressed his disappointment, saying he had lost hope of recovering the account. However, he mentioned that a friend is currently working on the issue in an attempt to restore it.

The six-year-old vlogger and his younger sister, Muskaan, who frequently features in his videos, hail from the Siachin sector of Gilgit-Baltistan and swiftly rose to fame a few months ago after their wholesome content went viral. He has captured the hearts of millions with his captivating vlogs, which showcase the beauty of his village and its simple people.

Despite his broken Urdu, he presents unique perspectives on the world and offers a sincere portrayal of his surroundings. Shiraz’s innocent charm and genuine depiction of rural life in northern Pakistan have earned him widespread recognition. In a remarkably short time, he has amassed over 1.76 million subscribers on YouTube and over 2.1 followers on Instagram.