Alemohamad Law Office

Is selling followers or hacked accounts a crime? A legal review of buying and selling followers, likes, and hacked accounts in Iran.

Introduction

In recent years, the growth of social media has led many people to buy followers, likes, or even ready-made accounts to appear more popular. In the process, some of the accounts sold turn out to be hacked or stolen, and some sellers use bots or apps to sell fake followers. The question is: are these acts considered crimes, and what penalties does Iranian law provide for them?

Is selling followers or fake likes a crime?

If selling followers is done purely by creating fake accounts, without misusing other people's information, no specific law has yet explicitly criminalized it. However, it is treated as a criminal act in the following two cases:

If the act involves fraud or deceiving the customer (for example, falsely promising the followers are real or will affect income)
If the followers are sold using other people's account information or malicious bots (a violation of privacy)

In addition, if a business or individual suffers damage, a civil claim for compensation may be available.

Is selling a hacked account a crime?

Yes. Under the law, any unauthorized access to computer data, data theft, and the purchase or sale of hacked accounts is considered a crime.

Article 12 also states: anyone who unlawfully alters, deletes, blocks, or discloses data belonging to another person shall be sentenced to up to two years' imprisonment or a fine.

Article 1 of the Computer Crimes Act: anyone who unlawfully gains access to computer or telecommunication systems shall be sentenced to between 91 days and one year of imprisonment, or a fine.

Therefore, if a person hacks an Instagram, Telegram, or email account and sells or buys it, they have committed several computer crimes at once.

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Penalties for buying or selling a hacked account

Legal penalties range from three to twelve months' imprisonment or a fine for unauthorized access to an account, to six months to two years' imprisonment for an accomplice, and longer imprisonment plus a ban on online activity for selling private information, knowingly buying a hacked account, or repeat offenses.

Are platforms and follower bots also liable?

If bots or follower-selling websites access users' information without consent, engage in fraud or misleading advertising, or create unauthorized access to people's accounts, they bear criminal liability and can be reported.

Conclusion

Selling fake followers — when combined with deception or a privacy violation — as well as selling or buying hacked accounts, is considered a computer crime under Iranian law, carrying imprisonment and a monetary fine.