Police in Iran have arrested 17 people over a series of viral street prank videos posted on Instagram.

The pranksters recorded themselves faking murders and throwing cake at escalator riders, all in front of shocked members of the public. Police said the influencers “sowed panic” to boost their follower counts. Iranian authorities maintain tight control over the internet and the arrests come as part of a wider police crackdown on social media use. One secretly filmed video showed a prankster chastising his wife for texting a heart emoji to someone before he pretended to decapitate her, all while a horrified taxi passenger watched on. The victim of another recorded stunt was riding on an escalator when he was smeared in the face with a cream pie, before chasing the pranksters and angrily flinging his backpack and shoes after them.(BBC)…[+]