A German tourist put India’s safety standards to test by leaving an iPhone unattended in a crowded place. Younes Zarou carried out the iPhone safety experiment somewhere in Kerala. He shared the results of his experiment in an Instagram video two days ago that has since gone viral, racking up over 40 million views.
Younes Zarou left an iPhone unattended in Kerala. Here’s what happened next (Instagram/@youneszarou) iPhone safety experiment
Zarou filmed a video where he put an iPhone on a bench in a crowded market and walked away. From a hidden spot somewhere close by, he filmed what happened next.
His experiment began around 4.30pm in the evening. Over the next few minutes, several large groups walked by the bench. Some glanced at the iPhone lying unattended, others barely noticed it. Nobody made a move to pick it up.
By 5.30pm, dozens of people had walked past the iPhone – a device that is expensive enough to be out of the reach for millions of Indians. Even so, nobody pocketed the unattended phone.
Around 6pm, with the iPhone still lying safely on the bench, Zarou ended the experiment. He walked up to the phone and held it up for the camera to show that nobody had stolen it.
Watch the video below:
Zarou’s experiment lasted a little over one-and-a-half hours. In that time, nobody bothered to steal his iPhone.
Social media users were divided about whether that spoke to India’s safety or whether people were just wary of stealing on camera.
“If you keep a big tripod and big camera in front.. Then nobody will rob your phone.. Also i am 100% sure if someone had taken your phone then this video would never come, i know you want to show a clean side of India to gain more Indian audience but at least show some reality,” wrote one Instagram user.
“Don’t try this in Bihar,” another advised.
Who is Younes Zarou?
Younes Zarou is a German influencer who has been travelling through India. He began his journey on TikTok in 2019, creating illusion-style videos that quickly gained widespread attention.
Last month, Zarou was briefly held by Bengaluru Police for going to Church Street without obtaining prior approval for a public event.
(Also read: Who is Younes Zarou? German influencer detained in Bengaluru after gathering crowd at Church Street)