{"id":76420,"date":"2026-05-06T20:13:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T20:13:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/76420\/"},"modified":"2026-05-06T20:13:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T20:13:11","slug":"toy-company-treads-gingerly-on-lego-style-pro-iran-videos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/76420\/","title":{"rendered":"Toy company treads gingerly on Lego-style pro-Iran videos"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-0-CEBUNQYSCFED5J5B4WGJT2YJKM\">The controversial but prolific <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenationalnews.com\/future\/technology\/2026\/04\/16\/iran-lego-video-latest-youtube\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.thenationalnews.com\/future\/technology\/2026\/04\/16\/iran-lego-video-latest-youtube\/\">pro-Iran AI videos<\/a> resembling The Lego Movie show no sign of subsiding, yet the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenationalnews.com\/news\/us\/2026\/04\/10\/iran-lego-videos-removed-youtube\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.thenationalnews.com\/news\/us\/2026\/04\/10\/iran-lego-videos-removed-youtube\/\">Denmark-based Lego Group<\/a> has stayed silent on the issue.<\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-1-54ZRDGZX7BFYZHBZQN3RU4BMTM\">The popularity of the videos, many of which are created by a group calling itself Explosive Media, have raised legal questions such as whether or not Lego, the maker of the famous toy bricks and branded products, is concerned about its intellectual property being used without permission. <\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-4-DEV7S5POVRGTDBTK5PKK7A4XFA\">The only repercussions so far faced by Explosive Media, the group came from the Alphabet-owned <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenationalnews.com\/future\/technology\/2026\/04\/16\/iran-lego-video-latest-youtube\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.thenationalnews.com\/future\/technology\/2026\/04\/16\/iran-lego-video-latest-youtube\/\">YouTube video platform<\/a>, which suspended the pro-Iran group&#8217;s account. <\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-5-JQMXX4LZAVAYFJ5ITFTIWTWZNQ\">\u201cWe terminated the channel for violating our spam, deceptive practices and scams policies,\u201d a statement provided to The National read. <\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-6-OEGJM7BLYBDGZNOI26FQ4ZX7C4\">But the videos continue to be posted on just about every other platform, attracting hundreds of millions of views since the US and Israeli <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenationalnews.com\/podcasts\/beyond-the-headlines\/2026\/04\/10\/theatre-of-war-how-ai-videos-and-propaganda-clips-manipulated-us-iran-conflict\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.thenationalnews.com\/podcasts\/beyond-the-headlines\/2026\/04\/10\/theatre-of-war-how-ai-videos-and-propaganda-clips-manipulated-us-iran-conflict\/\">strikes on Iran<\/a> that commenced February 28. <\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-8-JKDI5GHMOJCXNJM6N7DPFD7CPE\">One of the many videos created and uploaded by Explosive Media shows President Donald Trump having a terrifying dream about the after-effects of launching strikes on Iranian civilian infrastructure, including extreme suffering in the US and throughout the Middle East. It concludes with him tearfully eating a taco, in a reference to his \u201cTrump Always Chickens Out\u201d nickname.<\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-9-XMLTBVM4VRHA5PEBNZZC4RSUOY\">Since April, The National has contacted The Lego Group&#8217;s media team several times by email, web portal and LinkedIn to see if the company wanted to comment on its intellectual property being used for this purpose, but has not yet received a reply. <\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-10-3JU36M5JK5AIXBO552S2V72WDA\">The closest thing to a response came from a PR firm representing the company&#8217;s interests in various countries. <\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-11-BWGWSUJH4NB3NN2V2KGVDZZU2Y\">\u201cThank you so much for your email and for reaching out, an email read. \u201cThere\u2019s no comment from the Lego Group.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-12-5YJREVCN6RGELPUJ44Y4XCGJAY\">Explosive Media&#8217;s videos have generated ample discussion in technology and policy circles. <\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-13-RIISNQWSCREUDBS3DIREH76YRU\">During a discussion at the AI+ Expo in Washington, AI on the front line: Lessons from the Iran conflict, talk of the Iran Lego videos took up a large part of the conversation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-14-ACRRZ522ZFEQZKEQQMCFY5MN4E\">Max Lesser, a senior analyst at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies think tank, said Lego&#8217;s lack of reaction to the videos is a completely different approach, compared with a similar incident in 2020. <\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-15-PZAY5KBY75H4TNRPIYZQ6UCTMI\">At that time, a state-media group affiliated with China used toy bricks closely resembling Legos to criticise the US response to Covid-19. <\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-17-MTV2EVBPOZC2ZHGE277ZZ47TIQ\">\u201cWe weren\u2019t involved in making the animation in any way. As a toy company, we\u2019re focusing on bringing play to children and families,\u201d a representative for Lego told Business Insider at the time. <\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-18-6BFS5FUGGFD7RELRRA7KRHLSXM\">Mr Lesser said that because the continuing conflict in Iran has become so polarising, it is possible that the Lego Group is trying to stay silent, hoping it can avoid offending anyone. <\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-19-2BSDDN6ANZFNZPQKLNUQS72UZU\">\u201cThere has been a lot of misinformed and misaligned domestic pushback against the US and it&#8217;s a hot topic politically, so maybe that&#8217;s why,\u201d he said. \u201cIt&#8217;s a shame that they don&#8217;t feel like they can discuss it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-20-AOKYVD3JDFDL3AUT6DYD4QIPBE\">Mr Lessing lamented that the White House has also largely avoided addressing the videos. He said some have been particularly effective in appealing to anti-war sentiment among some Americans. <\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-21-EMQPT2ITGVFIZFCZN5YRERLGPY\">\u201cOne of the videos I saw had an Iranian speaking with someone on Zoom with people in Portland and San Francisco,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-22-PC2FL5IIURFORPID5VP4KZKTSI\">The National contacted to Explosive Media to take part in this story, but has not yet heard back.<\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-24-OIOWH3WAQJBQTLUZO75P4UZB5I\">The group&#8217;s content started to appear in 2025, and consisted largely of political commentary delivered by a young Iranian. Its productions now largely consist of the Lego-style videos. <\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-25-E6QW2EH3HBHWVI4BCXI5MXQKB4\">\u201cThe sun of truth is rising, minds are being detoxed and the people&#8217;s time has come,\u201d Explosive Media posted on Wednesday in a lengthy statement to its Telegram channel. <\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-27-2XUT2ZKPIREGBHDSDUQZN45O7U\">Meanwhile, the Trump administration has also been quick to use AI with hopes of getting its message across on multiple issues.<\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-28-OI7XEW6COZA53BCPCWEV6NQ5ZY\">One of the more prominent creations, released after the launch of the war with Iran, included clips from the game Call of Duty, inter-spliced with White House and US military images.<\/p>\n<p class=\"defaultstyled__StyledText-sc-11u52t4-1 huqwQJ margin-lg-bottom\" id=\"el-29-5T5MYYAKMJHGZLLVRU7QDYYUS4\">The pro-Iran videos created by Explosive Media, however, have proved significantly more popular, with more shares and engagement. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The controversial but prolific pro-Iran AI videos resembling The Lego Movie show no sign of subsiding, yet the&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":76421,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6050],"tags":[2271,4248,6051,8313,8312,239,32645],"class_list":{"0":"post-76420","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-lego","8":"tag-iran","9":"tag-lego","10":"tag-lego-group","11":"tag-standard","12":"tag-story","13":"tag-technology","14":"tag-us-bureau"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@dk\/116529464221853581","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76420","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=76420"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76420\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/76421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=76420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=76420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}