There Are No Girls on the Internet

This week Biden said he would sign legislation into law banning TikTok if congress passes it. TikTok is one step closer to being banned in the United States after the legislation unanimously passed a big vote last week. Popular TikToker and misinformation researcher Abbie Richards and I discussed what a ban would mean for marginalized communities. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What fake images of Trump with Black voters tell us about AI disinformation: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/03/06/what-fake-images-trump-with-black-voters-tell-us-about-ai-disinformation/ A bill that could lead to a TikTok ban is gaining momentum in Congress. Here's what to know: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tiktok-ban-congress-bill-bytedance-divest/ TikToker and disinfo expert Abbie Richards on why banning TikTok would harm marginalized communities: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/banning-tiktok-would-hurt-marginalized-communities/id1520715907?i=1000606352152 Elon Musk switched on X calling by default: Here’s how to switch it off: https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/04/elon-musk-x-twitter-calling-privacy-switch-off/ AOC’s Plan to End Deepfake Porn: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/aoc-deepfakes-defiance-act-1234979373/ CBS Sued by ‘SEAL Team’ Scribe Over Alleged Racial Quotas for Hiring Writers: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/cbs-studios-paramount-reverse-discrimination-lawsuit-racial-quotas-1235842493/ Writers Sound Off About Litigious ‘SEAL Team’ Staffer Who Claims He Lost Gig Because He Was White & Male: https://deadline.com/2024/03/writers-reaction-seal-team-staffer-brian-beneker-lawsuit-discrimination-1235846195/ Thanks to the listener who helped get this obituary of Shafiqah Hudson published in the New York Times (if that listener is you - please reach out to me!): https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/05/us/shafiqah-hudson-dead.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this special International Women’s Day episode, Bridget reflects on what honoring women means and talks to NBC’s Ali Vitali about why we haven’t seen a woman in the White House...yet. Check out Ali’s great book, Electable: Why America Hasn't Put a Woman in the White House . . . YET: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/electable-ali-vitali?variant=40087982473250See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The less-than-magical Willy Wonka event, briefly explained: https://www.vox.com/technology/2024/2/28/24086217/willy-wonka-glasgow-scotland Why Google's 'woke' AI problem won't be an easy fix: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-68412620 Black Nazis? A woman pope? That’s just the start of Google’s AI problem: https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2024/2/28/24083814/google-gemini-ai-bias-ethics Tumblr CEO's public 'meltdown' is mocked, memed by users: https://mashable.com/article/tumblr-transphobia-matt-mullenweg X quietly revived anti-misgendering policy that Musk dropped last year: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/02/x-quietly-revived-anti-misgendering-policy-that-musk-dropped-last-year/ He's America's Favorite Librarian — And He's Just Getting Started Spreading 'Library Joy': https://www.huffpost.com/entry/mychal-threets-america-favorite-librarian-tiktok_n_65ab2fe8e4b00bbb446f3f7d Wendy's says it won't use surge pricing for burgers after announcing 'dynamic pricing.' What's the difference between the 2?: https://news.yahoo.com/wendys-says-it-wont-use-surge-pricing-for-burgers-after-announcing-dynamic-pricing-whats-the-difference-between-the-2-175039236.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here’s Why Everyone’s Watching the ‘Who TF Did I Marry?’ Series on TikTok: https://www.glamour.com/story/heres-why-everyones-watching-the-who-tf-did-i-marry-series-on-tiktok A Marketplace of Girl Influencers Managed by Moms and Stalked by Men: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/22/us/instagram-child-influencers.html Nex Benedict: Everything We Know About 16-Year-Old Oklahoma Student’s Death: https://www.teenvogue.com/story/nex-benedict-everything-we-know-about-16-year-old-oklahoma-students-death Schumer, LGBTQ+ advocates back updated kids online safety bill: https://thehill.com/policy/technology/4469721-schumer-backs-updated-kids-online-safety-bill/ Don’t Fall for the Latest Changes to the Dangerous Kids Online Safety Act: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/02/dont-fall-latest-changes-dangerous-kids-online-safety-act Joey on Stuff Mom Never Told You breaking down Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA): https://omny.fm/shows/stuff-mom-never-told-you/what-is-kosa-and-why-is-it-so-scary Bobbi Althoff deepfake spotlights X’s role as a top source of AI porn: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/02/22/x-twitter-bobbi-althoff-deepfake-porn-viral/ How Ghana's Labour Act helped laid-off Twitter Africa staff to secure compensation: https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/How-Ghana-s-Labour-Act-helped-laid-off-Twitter-Africa-staff-to-secure-compensation-1917450See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shafiqah Hudson made the internet better for all of us. In honor of her brilliant life cut tragically short, we’re replaying our conversation from 2020. After Shafiqah Hudson uncovered bad actors pretending to be Black women on Twitter, spreading disinformation and discord, she sounded the alarm to Twitter officials. Unfortunately, they ignored her. So she created the hashtag #YourSlipIsShowing to help stamp them out herself.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meta announces they will stop promoting "political" content, kicks the can on what "political" means. Internet shopping company Temu ran ads during the Super Bowl, but an awful lot of people claim that their app compromised their private information, and experts say it looks like malware. We don't recommend installing it! An unscrupulous anti-abortion company used geolocation data from a data broker to target people who had visited clinics with a national abortion misinformation campaign. On the streets of San Francisco strangers came together, put aside their differences, and joined forces to destroy a self-driving Waymo car. It's a news roundup! Uber, Lyft, DoorDash drivers in the U.S. to strike on Valentine’s Day for fair pay: https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/uber-lyft-doordash-drivers-us-strike-valentines-day-fair-pay-rcna138450 Temu app contains ‘most dangerous’ spyware in circulation: class action lawsuit: https://www.fashiondive.com/news/temu-class-action-lawsuit-data-collection/699328/ Would you buy this Temu purse? https://www.instagram.com/p/Crl1copvr_u/ Instagram and Threads will no longer promote ‘political’ content. No one knows what they define as ‘political’ but it's a safe bet that (Daniel Day Lewis Voice) There Will Be Bias. https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/15/success/instagram-threads-political-content/index.html A data broker company tracked visits to 600 Planned Parenthood locations around the country, then sold the data to fuel an anti-abortion misinformation ad campaign, senator says: https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/13/planned-parenthood-location-track-abortion-ads-00141172 Protesters Gather Outside OpenAI Headquarters: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2024-02-13/ai-protest-at-openai-hq-in-san-francisco-focuses-on-military-work?leadSource=reddit_wall A crowd destroyed a driverless Waymo car in San Francisco: https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/11/24069251/waymo-driverless-taxi-fire-vandalized-video-san-francisco-china-town Nearly 1 in 5 Americans believe Taylor Swift is involved in an election conspiracy theory: https://www.monmouth.edu/polling-institute/reports/MonmouthPoll_US_021424/ Weird times for media outlets: https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-weekend-essay/is-the-media-prepared-for-an-extinction-level-event See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you seen trad wife content on social media lately? Bridget joins Sam and ANney over at Stuff Mom Never Told You to break down what's behind it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to Joey breakdown TikTok’s crisis of femininity on Stuff Mom Never Told You: https://omny.fm/shows/stuff-mom-never-told-you/tiktoks-crisis-of-femininity A Straight Woman Walks Into a Lesbian Bar… And Generates TikTok Controversy: https://www.them.us/story/tik-tok-lesbian-bar-drama-controversy-explained Bluesky is now open for anyone to join: https://techcrunch.com/2024/02/06/bluesky-is-now-open-for-anyone-to-join/ Conservative influencers are using AI to cover up photos of sex workers: https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/conservative-influencers-are-using-ai-cover-photos-sex-workers-rcna137341 Gina Carano Sues Disney Over ‘Mandalorian’ Firing In Lawsuit Funded by Elon Musk: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/gina-carano-sues-disney-mandalorian-firing-lawsuit-elon-musk-1235817466/ SpaceX accused of sexual harassment and discrimination in ex-workers’ suit: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/feb/06/spacex-accused-sexual-harassment-discriminationSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If anything happens to me, talk to the Barbz. In this episode from 2022, we talk to Kimberly Foster about being the target of Nicki Minaj’s most toxic fandom.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

WELCOME TO THE THE MELANINOCRACY Get out of the way! It’s Black History Month!!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5Mf0X1oDHM Universal Music Group to remove songs from TikTok after failing to reach deal: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/universal-music-group-remove-songs-tiktok-rcna136506 FKA twigs says ‘all record labels ask for are TikToks’: ‘I got told off for not making enough effort’: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/fka-twigs-tiktok-instagram-label-b2082496.html Senators use mean words to demand tech executives take action to protect kids online: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/01/31/technology/child-safety-senate-hearing These ‘toys’ are killing our kids op ed by Julie Scelfo in the Hill: https://thehill.com/opinion/4438362-these-toys-are-killing-our-kids/ Joey on Stuff Mom Never Told You breaking down Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA): https://omny.fm/shows/stuff-mom-never-told-you/what-is-kosa-and-why-is-it-so-scary FCC moves to criminalize most AI-generated robocalls: https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/fcc-moves-criminalize-ai-generated-robocalls-rcna136347 Photo of Australian lawmaker digitally altered by news channel to have bigger boobs and a cropped top: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/31/world/australia/australia-georgie-purcell-9news-photoshop.html RuPaul’s Drag Race star Crystal speaks out after Laurence Fox loses libel case: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/crystal-drag-queen-laurence-fox-high-court-b2487199.html See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Those horrifying deep fake AI images of Taylor Swift that circulated on social media last week are a threat to all of us. It’s time for real cultural and legislative change. Check out Dr. Joy Buolamwini’s Algorithmic Justice League: https://www.ajl.org/ Listen to Dr. Joy Buolamwini’s episode: https://omny.fm/shows/there-are-no-girls-on-the-internet/biden-s-executive-order-on-ai-protects-privacy-and 404 Media’s reporting on Microsoft: https://www.404media.co/ai-generated-taylor-swift-porn-twitter/ Teen Marvel star speaks out about sexually explicit deepfakes: ‘Why is this allowed?’ https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/misinformation/teen-marvel-star-xochitl-gomez-speaks-deepfake-rcna134753 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kelly Osbourne addresses infamous 2015 remarks about Latinos on 'The View': https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/kelly-osbourne-addresses-infamous-2015-remarks-latinos-view-rcna134755 Researchers Say the Deepfake Biden Robocall Was Likely Made With Tools From AI Startup ElevenLabs: https://www.wired.com/story/biden-robocall-deepfake-elevenlabs/ AI-Generated Taylor Swift Porn Went Viral on Twitter. Here's How It Got There: https://www.404media.co/ai-generated-taylor-swift-porn-twitter/ Oklahoma schools gig for Libs of TikTok founder: Does it meet state's own rules? https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2024/01/26/libs-of-tiktok-chaya-raichik-oklahoma-school-library/72361037007/ Conversion therapy content is being banned by social media companies thanks to the work of LGBTQ+ group: https://www.advocate.com/business/conversion-therapy-ban-social-media Man Jailed, Raped, and Beaten After False Facial Recognition Match, $10M Lawsuit Alleges: https://www.vice.com/en/article/3akekk/man-jailed-raped-and-beaten-after-false-facial-recognition-match-dollar10m-lawsuit-alleges Parents worry AI-generated influencers are promoting unrealistic beauty standards to kids: https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/parents-worry-ai-influencers-promote-unrealistic-beauty-standards-rcna134814 AI is producing ‘fake’ Indigenous art trained on real artists’ work without permission: https://www.crikey.com.au/2024/01/19/artificial-intelligence-fake-indigenous-art-stock-images/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our last news roundup, Bridget and Mike had conflicting and surprisingly strong feelings about self checkout machines. And it turns out, listeners do, too! We got more emails about this seemingly low stakes topic than any other. Why did this touch a nerve?! We don’t know but there’s something there, and we’re here for it. We read some listener emails, which make great points for and against. Are these machines dystopian symbols of our crumbling social connectedness? Or are they convenient devices for buying groceries, and maybe the real dystopian symbols were the capitalist overlords we met along the way? You be the judge! Self-Checkouts Often Inaccessible to Disabled Shoppers: https://foodinstitute.com/focus/self-checkout-often-inaccessible-to-disabled-shoppers/ LA Times report on self checkouts and loneliness (paywalled): https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2023-08-28/some-skip-self-checkout-to-combat-loneliness-build-human-connection TikTok Lawyer explains why you should avoid using self-checkouts in stores: https://scoop.upworthy.com/lawyer-explains-why-you-should-avoid-using-self-checkouts-in-stores-576190-576190-576190-576190 Washington Post piece: Dear grocery store owners: I don’t work for you! https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/10/31/rick-reilly-self-checkout-rebellion/ Walmart reveals it's tracking checkout theft with AI-powered cameras in 1,000 stores: https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-tracks-theft-with-computer-vision-1000-stores-2019-6 Feeling lonely? Too many of us are. Here’s what our supermarkets can do to help: https://theconversation.com/feeling-lonely-too-many-of-us-are-heres-what-our-supermarkets-can-do-to-help-211126 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Patreon: Bridget remembers the time she met Sheryl Sandberg. https://TANGOTI.com/patreon Google promised to delete sensitive location data about abortion clinic visits. A new study finds that it still isn’t living up to that promise: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/jan/16/google-keeps-location-history-data-abortion-clinics-despite-delete-pledge Teen deepfake victim pushes for federal law targeting non-consensual, AI-generated explicit content - the Preventing Deepfakes of Intimate Images Act: https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/deepfake-law-ai-new-jersey-high-school-teen-image-porn-rcna133706 OpenAI quietly removes ban on military use of its AI tools: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/16/openai-quietly-removes-ban-on-military-use-of-its-ai-tools.htm AI already being used to select bombing targets in Gaza: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/01/the-gospel-how-israel-uses-ai-to-select-bombing-targets Formula E Team Fires Its AI-Generated Influencer after Fans Balk: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a46353319/formula-e-team-fires-ai-generated-influencer/ It's not just you, Google Search really has gotten worse: https://mashable.com/article/google-search-low-quality-research The Self-Checkout Nightmare(?) May Finally Be Ending: https://gizmodo.com/the-self-checkout-nightmare-may-finally-be-ending-1851169879 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a new year, which is a great opportunity to take stock of what we’re leaving behind in tech in the new year. Bridget joined Sam and Anney over at Stuff Mom Never Told You to get into what’s not coming with us in 2024.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy 2024 - the internet is all scams, lies, baits, Nazis and spiders! Substack has a Nazi problem: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/01/11/substack-platformer-nazis/ Dating apps are in their flop era: https://www.bustle.com/wellness/dating-apps-have-gotten-worse-hinge-tinder-bumble-gen-z-millennials On Threads, users say they're flooded with pro-life and transphobic posts: https://mashable.com/article/threads-transphobia-anti-abortion-posts-hate-speech EBay to pay $3 million after employees sent live spiders, funeral wreath and fetal pig to critics: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ebay-pay-3-million-employees-234151533.html The SEC’s Official X Account Was ‘Compromised’ and Used to Post Fake Bitcoin News: https://www.wired.com/story/sec-x-account-compromise/ What!? Did Elon Musk Just Endorse Tweet Saying Students at HBCUs Have Low IQs? https://www.theroot.com/wtf-elon-musk-seems-to-endorse-tweet-saying-students-a-1851159488?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=SocialMarketing&utm_campaign=dlvrit&utm_content=theroot Video Game Voice Actors Criticize SAG-AFTRA Over Agreement With AI Company: https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2024/01/10/video-game-voice-actors-criticize-sag-aftra-over-agreement-with-ai-company/?sh=267ac9e0374e The George Carlin AI Standup Is Worse Than You Can Imagine: https://www.vice.com/en/article/5d94xx/the-george-carlin-ai-standup-is-worse-than-you-can-imagine Bridget’s favorite Carlin bit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLacSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Harvard donor Bill Ackman pushed for the resignation of Harvard's first Black woman president, Dr. Claudine Gay, for what he says is a history of academic plagiarism. An independent review panel cleared her of misconduct, but the allegations continued and led to her resignation. Now Ackman’s wife, Dr. Neri Oxman, is also being accused of plagiarism in her academic work. In the aftermath of Dr. Gay’s resignation from Harvard, here’s how Ackman has responded to the allegations against his wife. Meanwhile, their troubling connection to Jefferey Epstein resurfaces. Full video of this episode is available on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/tangotiSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy New Year! We’d intended to air the first newscast of 2024, but instead we have to talk about what happened to Dr. Claudine Gay, the former president of Harvard. She resigned last week after an intense campaign to get her fired led by right wing activist Christopher Rufo. Yup, the same right wing activist who created the moral panic over Critical Race Theory. He’s been completely transparent, through public tweets and interviews in big outlets like Politico, that his goal in creating the campaign against her was a broader desire to destroy the concept of “DEI” (Diversity Equity & Inclusion). And yet, legacy media outlets like the New York Times uncritically legitimized his bad-faith framing with multiple featured articles. People like tech podcaster Jason Calacanis have celebrated her resignation as evidence of a return to meritocracy, a ridiculous idea that only makes sense if one believes that prestigious leadership positions are just being handed out willy-nilly to unqualified Black women, which is obviously not true! Black women have to work twice as hard to get half as much, and even then one misstep is all it takes for bad faith allegations to take down a powerful Black woman in the eyes of a public that is all too willing to believe that DEI initiatives are the only way a Black woman could possibly achieve a leadership position. We Sat Down With the Conservative Mastermind Behind Claudine Gay’s Ouster: https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/01/03/christopher-rufo-claudine-gay-harvard-resignation-00133618 Why White Women Won DEI: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-white-women-won-dei-aparna-rae/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you been seeing a lot of content on social media romanticizing women not working outside of the home? Jo Piazza, host of the hilarious and insightful podcast Under the Influence, breaks down why we're seeing so much trad wife content right now. #TradWives: sexism as gateway to white supremacy: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/countering-radical-right/tradwives-sexism-gateway-white-supremacy/ Listen to Under the Influence: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/under-the-influence-with-jo-piazza/id1544171101See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Netflix’s Inventing Anna presents a flashy version of fake German heiress Anna Delvey’s scams. Rachel Deloache Williams was scammed out of $62,000 by Anna on a disastrous trip to Morocco. Rachel discusses true crime shows like Inventing Anna and Hulu’s The Dropout and what it means for all of us when liars and scammers are elevated and amplified. Anna ‘Delvey’ Sorokin Almost Ruined My Life. Now She’s Being Rewarded for Her Crimes: https://time.com/6146419/inventing-anna-rachel-williams-anna-delvey/ Check out Rachel’s book My Friend Anna: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/My-Friend-Anna/Rachel-DeLoache-Williams/9781982114107See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rudy Giuliani has been ordered to pay Ruby Freeman and Shay Moss, two election workers he baselessly maligned in Georgia, almost 50 million dollars. And they might even sue him again! Here’s how we got here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're taking a break from our usual content to share a new podcast from iHeart's Outspoken network, Afterlives: The Layleen Polanco Story. You can check out the rest of the show here: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-afterlives-the-layleen-po-127683074/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cait Corrain is an author who had a highly anticipated book called Crown of Starlight coming out in May of 2024. But now her book has been shelved after she admitted to using Good Reads to review bomb a bunch of other writers’ forthcoming books. Most of her targets were Black or queer, while Corrain is white. This story has a LOT of twists and turns, including her inventing an obviously fake conversation with an obviously fake person. Canadian author Xiran Jay Zhao was the first person I saw to bring it to wider attention online. They first noticed that Cait’s book Crown of Starlight was getting good reviews from the same accounts who were trashing other books, some of which were not even out yet. Xiran Jay Zhao also created a 31-page Google document of screenshots showing a bunch of the alleged-but-now-admitted fake GoodReads accounts, screenshots of conversations, and other damning receipts. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1__mO1uqIqcmupBAPKwXDzlUbZIwtY6fKf0S1Y0SNz0E/edit See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a Friday news roundup! If you’re new here and looking for a deeper dive into a single topic, check out the episode on Alex Jones from Dec 12, or the (forthcoming) episode on Tuesday Dec 19 about the wild story of an author who created fake Goodreads accounts to review-bomb a bunch of other authors. It’s part scam, part Greek tragedy, and you’ll definitely want to hear it. Want to skip the banter and get right to the news? Head to around the 6 minute mark GLAAD’s report on transphobia online: All Social Media Platform Policies Should Recognize Targeted Misgendering and Deadnaming as Hate Speech: https://glaad.org/social-media-platform-policies-targeted-misgendering-deadnaming-hate-speech/ Part one of Bridget discussing Georgia election workers Shaye and Ruby Freeman on Internet Hate Machine: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/part-one-why-trump-targeted-two-black-election-workers/id1648497305?i=1000590820764 Part two of Bridget discussing Shaye and Ruby Freeman: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/part-two-why-trump-targeted-two-black-election-workers/id1648497305?i=1000592261007 Congress Pulls Bill That Would Massively Expand Surveillance After 'Dramatic Showdown': https://www.vice.com/en/article/y3wkdg/fisa-surveillance-bill-congress-pulled Speaker Johnson adds short term FISA extension to National Defense Bill: https://prospect.org/civil-rights/2023-12-12-mike-johnson-ndaa-surveillance-reform/ Twitter Is Just Running Ads for Stealing Semen Now: https://www.404media.co/twitter-x-ads-stealing-semen-make-a-mom/ Hugging Face’s Rules of [Press] Engagement for writing about women in tech: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/rules-press-engagement-emily-witko--ohlzf/ Discord bands misgendering: https://www.them.us/story/discord-explicitly-bans-misgendering-and-deadnaming-on-its-platform Chat GPT might be on winter break (and so are we). As ChatGPT gets “lazy,” people test “winter break hypothesis” as the cause: https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2023/12/is-chatgpt-becoming-lazier-because-its-december-people-run-tests-to-find-out/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has been let back on Twitter after being banned for building a media empire on the lie that the Sandy Hook school shooting wasn't real. When Elon first took over Twitter he said he would never let Jones back on, but that promise turned out to be worth as much as most of Elon’s promises. This week he rolled out the red carpet and sat down for a chit chat in Twitter spaces to talk about how much they both love free speech and hate grieving parents. In honor of Elon Musk and Alex Jones’s new friendship, we’re re-airing this episode about the defamation trial of Alex Jones in which he was found guilty and ordered to pay over a billion dollars to the families of the victims he profited by lying about. These people make us sick, but enjoy the episode!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To skip the banter and get straight to the news, skip to 00:04:20 VOTE FOR THE IRL PODCAST TO WIN AN ANTHEM AWARD: TANGOTI.COM/IRL During this week’s GOP debate, Nikki Haley dropped a curious stat about TikTok making users 17% more antisemitic every 30 minutes, but is that even true? Here’s the original analysis by Goldbloom but (A) Haley misstated the findings, and (B) this study wasn’t peer reviewed or published, so buyer beware: https://twitter.com/antgoldbloom/status/1730255552738201854 Meta and TikTok explain their differing responses to Dublin riots and misinformation: https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/dublin-micheal-martin-meta-tiktok-elon-musk-b2459512.html Taylor Swift is Time’s Person of the Year and far right grifters are dropping conspiracies about why. ‘What’s happening is not organic’: Why the right thinks Taylor Swift is a government PsyOp designed to swing the 2024 election: https://www.dailydot.com/debug/taylor-swift-psyop-conspiracy-theory-2024-election/ Amazon sued for selling gross spy cams. Judge: Amazon “cannot claim shock” that bathroom spycams were used as advertised: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/12/amazon-faces-trial-after-selling-bathroom-spycam-used-to-abuse-minor/ Listen to Joey’s Afterlives podcast: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-afterlives-the-layleen-po-127683074/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The tech conference Devternity has been canceled (not fake canceled, literally canceled) after allegations that the founder has been inventing fake women and catfishing on Instagram for years. Bridget does a deep dive to get to the bottom of it, and what it says about default, dismissive attitudes about marginalized people in tech. There were real women the whole time! Why not invite one of them?! A Tech Conference Listed Fake Speakers for Years: I Accidentally Noticed: https://blog.pragmaticengineer.com/devternity-fake-speakers/ Male Tech Conference Founder Is Behind Popular Woman Coding Influencer Account: https://www.404media.co/coding-unicorn-instagram-julia-kirsina-devternity/ Tech Conference Collapses After Organizer Admits to Making Fake ‘Auto-Generated’ Female Speaker https://www.404media.co/devternity-fake-speakers-eduard-sizovs/ Eduards Sizovs’s full response thread: https://twitter.com/eduardsi/status/1728422017417032140 Here’s a collection of Julia through the years: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10Fds4DgzU_Yem577sfGykauuNkltIq3ykZdZUd1EAUE/edit?usp=sharing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re soft-launching having a little banter at the top of the episode, but to get straight to the news go to the 4:25 mark! Wanna listen to Bridget dig into her Spotify Wrapped?5:20 Check out the Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/tangoti NameDrop is safe. The fearmongering about it is not: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/11/27/namedrop-iphone-ios17-safety/ Your Step-by-Step Guide to Disabling NameDrop (if you want to): https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/your-step-by-step-guide-to-disabling-namedrop/ Instagram’s Algorithm Delivers Toxic Video Mix to Adults Who Follow Children (paywalled) https://www.wsj.com/tech/meta-instagram-video-algorithm-children-adult-sexual-content-72874155 How One Stupid Tweet Blew Up Justine Sacco’s Life: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/magazine/how-one-stupid-tweet-ruined-justine-saccos-life.html Google agrees to pay publishers in Canada and drops plans for blocking news: https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/29/23981515/google-canadian-government-online-news-act-link-tax-agreement Why Mickey Mouse’s 1998 copyright extension probably won’t happen again: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/01/hollywood-says-its-not-planning-another-copyright-extension-push/ Sports Illustrated Published Articles by Fake, AI-Generated Writers: https://futurism.com/sports-illustrated-ai-generated-writersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, Sam Altman was abruptly fired from Open AI. Don’t worry, he’s already been reinstated. Dr. Misty Heggeness, Associate Professor in the School of Public Affairs and Administration at the University of Kansas, talks with Bridget about what all the drama around his departure and return says about male leaders in tech and beyond. Read Misty’s op-ed: How the OpenAI saga illustrates tech’s toxic masculinity problem: https://www.fastcompany.com/90986317/openai-saga-techs-toxic-masculinity-problemSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After being falsely accused of murder in a global scandal screamed from tabloid headlines, these days exoneree, activist, mom, and host of the podcast Labyrinths Amanda Knox spends her time imagining a healthier media landscape. Check out the work Amanda does alongside her husband Chris: https://www.knoxrobinson.com Read Amanda's Medium piece, Who Owns My Name: https://amandamarieknox.medium.com/who-owns-my-name-93561f83e502 Amanda and Chris' podcast Labyrinths is very good, but this episode is my favorite: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-half-life-of-prejudice-malcolm-gladwell/id1494368441?i=1000497457213 Subscribe to our Patreon: Tangoti.com/patreon Help support the show at our merch store: TANGOTI.COM/store Want to say hi? Hit us up at [email protected] omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a lot going on with Twitter! It’s been a few weeks since we’ve done an installment of our segment, “What’s Elon Done Now?” because we were sick of talking about him. But some big things happened this week, so Bridget sits down with Producer Mike to recap and talk about what it all means. From Elon boosting antisemitic tweets and calling it “actual truth” to Media Matters releasing a damning report about hate speech on the platform and major advertisers pulling the plug, it’s been an eventful week. Media Matters report on Twitter ads being placed next to nazi content: https://www.mediamatters.org/twitter/musk-endorses-antisemitic-conspiracy-theory-x-has-been-placing-ads-apple-bravo-ibm-oracle How Elon Musk came to have so much leverage over the U.S. government, and the U.S. military’s uncomfortable reliance on Starlink. (it’s a long read but a good one): https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/08/28/elon-musks-shadow-rule Dr. Caroline Orr Bueno’s Twitter thread on informational dark spaces: https://twitter.com/RVAwonk/status/1726851801658589525 Elon Musk’s ‘thermonuclear’ lawsuit over hate-adjacent ads on X… actually confirms them: https://techcrunch.com/2023/11/20/elon-musks-thermonuclear-lawsuit-over-hate-adjacent-ads-on-x-actually-confirms-them/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about Joey’s new podcast with Raquel Willis Afterlives: https://www.them.us/story/afterlives-layleen-polanco-trans-incarceration-podcast?utm_source=twitter&utm_brand=them&utm_social-type=owned&utm_medium=social Dear Video Game Industry, Please Name A Woman: https://kotaku.com/pc-gamer-30th-anniversary-women-games-1851021562 FCC moves to help domestic violence victims with new rules around cellphones: https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/fcc-moves-help-domestic-violence-victims-new-rules-cellphones-rcna124902 Haley walks back declaration that all social media users must be verified: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/11/15/nikki-haley-social-media-anonymous/ YouTube will label AI-generated videos that look real: https://www.npr.org/2023/11/14/1212986395/youtube-will-label-ai-generated-videos-that-look-realSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is it just me or are ads everywhere on TikTok right now? Welcome to TikTok Shop. Is this the new normal? TikTok creator PrettyCritical joins Bridget to discuss. Follow Pretty Critical: https://www.tiktok.com/@prettycritical?lang=en Teens are trying to cash in on the TikTok Shop gold rush between classes: https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/tiktok-shop-teens-high-school-open-how-to-make-money-long-deliver-us-rcna102788 The Junk Is Winning TikTok’s experiment in shopping has quickly become another place to hawk products: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2023/10/tiktok-shop-cheap-products/675761/ TikTok cashing in on sale of counterfeit cosmetics and prescription skin creams: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/apr/23/tiktok-cashing-in-counterfeit-beauty-products-skin-gels TikTok Forced to Close Shopping Feature in Its Second-Largest Market: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/05/business/tiktok-shop-indonesia-ecommerce-ban.html HERE’S HOW TO BLOCK TIK TOK SHOP: https://www.tiktok.com/@thomasgermain/video/7270529252703898922?lang=enSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“We got the yacht!” https://www.bravotv.com/the-real-housewives-of-new-york-city/season-8/episode-17/videos/sonja-we-got-the-yacht Actors strike wins concessions that will impact AI and streaming for decades: https://www.wired.com/story/hollywood-actors-strike-ends-ai-streaming/ Zuckerberg personally and repeatedly blocked efforts to make Meta's products less harmful: https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/08/tech/meta-facebook-instagram-teen-safety/index.html How to be a whistleblower with Sophie Zhang: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-be-a-whistleblower-with-sophie-zhang/id1520715907?i=1000539829571 Building a Better Internet with Carrie Goldberg: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/building-a-better-internet-with-carrie-goldberg/id1520715907?i=1000489091000 Omegle’s goodbye: https://www.omegle.com/ Advertisers Don’t Want Sites Like Jezebel to Exist: https://www.404media.co/advertisers-dont-want-sites-like-jezebel-to-exist/ Jezebel and the Question of Women’s Anger https://newyorker.com/culture/the-weekend-essay/jezebel-and-the-question-of-womens-angerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the wake of Britney Spears’ hit memoir, are social media bots changing the conversation? Bridget does a deep dive into how social media bots are changing the landscape of social media discourse. From celebrity disputes to television reviews and political discourse, the threat of bots and inauthentic accounts are shaping how we think and how we talk to each other, whether they’re real or not. Massive Twitter Bot Farm Is Heaping Praise on Trump and Trashing DeSantis” https://gizmodo.com/twitter-bots-trump-desantis-maga-facebook-1850199161 Is There a Bot Behind That Tweet? https://insight.kellogg.northwestern.edu/article/is-there-a-bot-behind-that-tweet Bots on X worse than ever according to analysis of 1m tweets during first Republican primary debate: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/sep/09/x-twitter-bots-republican-primary-debate-tweets-increase Even a few bots can shift public opinion in big ways: https://theconversation.com/even-a-few-bots-can-shift-public-opinion-in-big-ways-104377See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Joy Buolamwini has been raising the alarm about the harm of AI for years, through her research and advocacy. People are finally starting to listen. Dr. Buolamwini is a 2020 Vital Voices Global Leadership Awards honoree and 2023 featured presenter. Learn more about the Vital Voices Global Leadership Awards: https://www.vitalvoices.org/news-articles/news/honorees-22nd-annual-global-leadership-awards Check out Dr. Buolamwini’s new book Unmasking AI: My Mission to Protect What Is Human in a World of Machines: https://www.amazon.com/Unmasking-AI-Mission-Protect-Machines/dp/0593241835 Dr. Buolamwini runs the Algorithmic Justice League. Find out more about her work: https://www.ajl.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scream was created against the backdrop of increasing anxiety about tech and media. And the film is practically screaming at all of us about it. In this special Halloween episode, Bridget joins Annie and Sam from Stuff Mom Never Told You to examine how our collective fears about technology, fame, and the media play out in the lives (and deaths!) of the movies’ teenagers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Calif. DMV says Cruise hid video of SF crash, suspends driverless car firm's permits: https://www.sfgate.com/tech/article/cruise-driverless-permits-suspended-dmv-18445296.php Meta and kids lawsuit from 41 state Attorneys General: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/10/24/meta-lawsuit-facebook-instagram-children-mental-health/?utm_source=reddit.com Don’t be misogynistic! Gender pay and promotion discrimination at Google: Google owes executive $1 million after losing gender bias lawsuit Our episode with Ifeoma Ozoma: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pay-us-what-you-owe-why-black-women-in-tech-are-tired/id1520715907?i=1000509470950 Read more about Ifeoma’s Silenced No More Act: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/24/technology/pinterest-whistle-blower-ifeoma-ozoma.html UCLA report on young people and what they want to see in the media. Spoiler: it isn’t drugs or toxic relationships: https://www.scholarsandstorytellers.com/css-teens-and-screens-2023-report Employees are so sick of the five-day workweek that most would take a pay cut to make a four-day week happen: https://fortune.com/2023/10/20/uk-workers-four-day-week-pay-cut-work-less/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Julia Mazur, host of the great podcast Pretty Much Done, made an innocuous TikTok about how she spent her weekend as a single woman with no kids. And then a mob of right wing extremists attacked her for it. Julia joins to tell her story, and what it tells us about being a single woman online. Follow Julia’s podcast Pretty Much Done: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pretty-much-done/id1644967912 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, we looked at how Twitter is creating more chaos in the Israel / Palestine conflict. Now, a look into how things are going on Instagram (not great!): https://www.404media.co/instagram-palestinian-arabic-bio-translation/ Why I'm not expecting my friends to make social media posts about Israel: https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/israel-hamas-conflict-social-media-pressure-rcna119596 A far-right Twitter troll was sentenced to seven months in prison for his 2016 election tweets: https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/19/23923733/douglass-mackey-twitter-troll-2016-election-voting-conspiracy Former Fugees rapper Pras is in a whole lot of very serious legal trouble. So why did his legal team use his trial to boost their AI platform? https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/convicted-fugees-rapper-pras-michels-lawyer-used-ai-draft-bungled-clos-rcna120992 Elon Musk talked a big game on keeping child exploitation off Twitter...now he’s being fined for doing such a bad job of it: https://apnews.com/article/twitter-esafety-fine-child-sexual-exploitation-feb129047a29eca1f950e815484f08b2 VR might help people with hoarding disorder: https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2023/10/vr-hoarding-disorder.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the just launched brand new season of Mozilla’s podcast IRL: Online Life is Real Life, Bridget explores the power of putting people over profit in AI. In this first episode, we look at the risks and rewards of open sourcing the tech that makes ChatGPT talk. If you liked this episode, let us know! And be sure to subscribe to IRL: https://irlpodcast.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The changes Elon Musk has made to Twitter are making it impossible to sort out what’s happening in the Israel / Hamas conflict. From gutting the Trust & Safety team to making verification meaningless and paying for engagement, Elon Musk has systematically removed the few safeguards we had that were able to keep disinformation on the platform (somewhat) in check. Today, while the world is watching in terror as the Israeli-Hamas conflict unfolds and intensifies, Twitter is more awash in fake claims and fake news than ever before. What is Hamas, and what’s happening in Israel and Gaza? A really simple guide: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67039975 Inside X’s Community Notes, fact-checks on known misinformation are delayed for days: https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/misinformation/elon-musk-x-fact-check-israel-misinformation-rcna119658 Unverified reports of ‘40 babies beheaded’ in Israel-Hamas war inflame social media: https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/unverified-allegations-beheaded-babies-israel-hamas-war-inflame-social-rcna119902 Tensions had been building in Jerusalem for months, especially around the Al-Aqsa Mosque: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/4/israeli-settlers-storm-al-aqsa-mosque-complex-on-fifth-day-of-sukkot See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sometimes it’s difficult to remember how far we’ve come in the fight for equality. Kevin Jennings is CEO of Lambda Legal, the country’s oldest LGBTQ+ legal rights organization. He says it’s important to remember where we’ve been and how far we’ve come to have a clear sense of where we’re going, explains why he’s optimistic about young people, and shares his vision for a future where no one needs to come out - we’re all just free to be ourselves. LEARN MORE ABOUT LAMBDA LEGAL : https://lambdalegal.org/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Want to bring Bridget to your school, job, or event? Email us! [email protected] Bridget on Anita B’s podcast Be The Change: https://anitab.org/b-the-way-forward/ Men Overran a Job Fair for Women in Tech: https://www.wired.com/story/grace-hopper-celebration-career-fair-men/ Instagram isn’t causing overcrowding in parks as much as assumed, OSU study suggests: https://www.opb.org/article/2023/10/01/oregon-state-university-study-overcrowding-state-parks-not-all-instagram-fault/ Mobile apps fueling AI-generated nudes of young girls: Spanish police: https://abcnews.go.com/US/mobile-apps-fueling-ai-generated-nudes-young-girls/story?id=103563734 Extortion blackmail scams on the rise among your people, especially teen boys: https://www.washingtonpost.com/parenting/2023/10/02/teen-boys-sextortion/ Elon Musk Hit With Lawsuit For Falsely Accusing Man Of Being Part Of Neo-Nazi Brawl: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/elon-musk-defamation-lawsuit-neo-nazi_n_65146bace4b05bd1c4d60d14 NYC Becomes First U.S. City to Offer Abortion Pills Via Telehealth: https://jezebel.com/nyc-becomes-first-u-s-city-to-offer-abortion-pills-via-1850896523See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this special episode taped from the iHeart Music Festival in the Bose recording booth, Bridget and Mike talk about the rise of many-to-many social surveillance via social media and what it means for all of us.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bridget’s other podcast BEEF is nominated for 3 Signal Awards! Can you vote for BEEF to win? Just go to https://ncpodcasts.com/signal Apple removes app created by Andrew Tate: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2023/sep/22/apple-criticised-for-hosting-app-created-by-andrew-tate Why We’re Pulling Our Recommendation of Wyze Security Cameras: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/wyze-security-breach/ The EU says Twitter/X is the worst platform for disinformation: https://www.techspot.com/news/100297-eu-former-twitter-platform-x-worst-disinformation.html ​​Bill would criminalize 'extremely harmful' online 'deepfakes’: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/bill-criminalize-extremely-harmful-online-deepfakes/story?id=103286802&cid=social_twitter_abcnp If You Resold Taylor Swift Eras Tour Tickets, the IRS Is Watching: https://gizmodo.com/irs-begins-taxing-concert-ticket-resale-taylor-swift-1850865265See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apple joined the Google Play store in dropping Andrew Tate’s pyramid scheme app. And while Tate was in custody, Just Pearly Things rose up in his place. Justin Horowitz, researcher at Media Matters, explains the hold these misogynistic manosphere influencers have on the internet and what it means for all of us. Read Justin’s Media Matters research: https://www.mediamatters.org/diversity-discrimination/beyond-andrew-tate-meet-misogynistic-manosphere-influencers-proliferating Apple removes app created by Andrew Tate: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2023/sep/22/apple-criticised-for-hosting-app-created-by-andrew-tateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For Bridget's full take on Ashton Kutcher and anti-trafficking work, check out the Patreon: Patreon.com/tangoti Russell Brand accused of sexual assault by multiple women; but defended by Elon Musk and Alex Jones: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/russell-brand-youtube-suspends-monetization-rape-sexual-assault-rcna105750 New chatbot connects abortion-seekers with care options: https://mashable.com/article/abortion-chatbot-charley Amazon leaders were ‘okay’ with people being secretly signed up for Prime, lawsuit allege: https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/20/23882675/amazon-prime-ftc-dark-patterns-lawsuit Google bans Andrew Tate's 'The Real World' App: https://www.indy100.com/science-tech/andrew-tate-real-world-app Tim Ballard’s Departure From Operation Underground Railroad Followed Sexual Misconduct Investigation: https://www.vice.com/en/article/pkaqvn/tim-ballards-departure-from-operation-underground-railroad-followed-sexual-misconduct-investigationSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spill is a meme forward, highly visual social media platform that is putting power in the hands of the people who use it. Kenya Parham, Spill’s Global Vice President of Community and Partnerships, explains how the team is building a new platform that feels like a safe, fun party with all your favorite cousins. TRY SPILL: https://www.spill.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.