Charlie Kirks death proves AI chatbots arent built for breaking news

It took mere hours for the internet to spin out on conspiracies about the murder of Charlie Kirk — who died yesterday after being shot at a public event in Utah — according to reports. The far-right commentator, who often engaged in vitriolic debates about immigration, gun control, and abortion on college campuses, was killed…

How to stop videos from autoplaying on X

X (formerly Twitter) seems to be dominated by videos when you open the app or access the site — and if the news of the day happens to be something violent or disturbing, it can be easy to stumble across content that you don’t want to see automatically playing. The safest way to avoid disturbing…

Has social media taken Clanker too far?

Some people just can’t help but suck the fun out of things. Case in point: the word “clanker,” a quasi-new slur circulating on social media aimed at AI chatbots. A few weeks ago, I reported on the trend as it gained traction on X and TikTok, mostly in satirical posts imagining a future where robots…

Facebook is bringing back the poke (again) for the youths

The “poke” technically never went away, but Facebook is trying to make it a thing again. In a nod to Y2K nostalgia, Facebook announced a few updates to the poke button, according to TechCrunch, which spotted the announcement. A fixture in the early Facebook days, no one was ever quite clear on what a poke…

Yet another platform drops Elon Musks X after API changes

One of the web’s biggest social media management apps has just removed Elon Musk’s X, formerly known as Twitter, from its platform. Later, which boasts millions of users, including hundreds of big brands ranging from GoPro to the Dallas Mavericks, officially dropped support for X on its Later Social platform on Thursday. The social media…

4chan and Kiwi Farms sue UK regulator over Online Safety Act

Notorious and controversial imageboards 4chan and Kiwi Farms are taking the UK government to task in U.S. federal court, filing suit against the country’s Office of Communications (Ofcom) over the controversial Online Safety Act (OSA). The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday, August 27, follows earlier threats made by the site’s legal counsel, Preston Byrne. Byrne warned…

Bluesky blocked in Mississippi over age verification laws

People in Mississippi no longer have access to Bluesky — one of the primary alternatives to Elon Musk‘s X — because of burdensome age verification laws. A new law in Mississippi requires age verification to access social media sites. This landmark piece of legislation goes even further than other laws that require age verification for sites…

Gay influencer couple reveals breakup in viral video — then deletes it

This week, a gay influencer couple announced their breakup online, complete with a “split custody” plan for their social media. The internet, in its usual fashion, went into prying auntie mode. For years, New Orleans-based Matt Armato and Beau Ciolino shared lifestyle blogs and videos under the brand Probably This. They met in 2013 and…