The right-wing social media platform Parler says that controversial rapper Kanye West is no longer buying the company. On Thursday, West appeared on InfoWars, the program hosted by far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones as part of a media tour pertaining to West’s claim that he is running for president in 2024. (Jones, as you might…
As misinformation, fake news, deepfakes, and conspiracy theories continue to roll around in their own primetime spots on our tech platforms, it’s no real surprise Merriam-Webster’s word of the year for 2022 is “gaslighting.” According to the dictionary, gaslighting or “the act or practice of grossly misleading someone especially for one’s own advantage” saw a…
When I first made an account on Mastodon, Twitter’s supposed successor, I had a lot of questions. Does it scratch the Twitter itch? What server do I join? How does the whole server thing work? After spending some time on Mastodon and learning more about decentralized platforms in general, I’ve got the hang of it.…
The dramatic and sudden collapse of FTX, one of the world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchanges, was major headline news in its own right. But a case of bad timing involving the U.S. midterm elections and international aide for Ukraine has turned the underpinnings of this tech-world cautionary tale into perfect fodder for right-wing conspiracy theorists. So…
Years ago, Mastodon appeared in the midst of the many social media networks out there. But it’s really gaining recognition now as it basks in the light of Twitter’s dumpster fire. In recent weeks, since Elon Musk’s Twitter became increasingly submerged in confusion and chaos, many people decided to migrate platforms. Mastodon became one such…
When the BeReal bell rings during class, what happens? If you swipe to the “Discover” tab of BeReal — the photo-sharing app that prompts users to share unfiltered pictures once a day — you can see strangers’ public posts. Chances are, if you look, you’ll find teenager after teenager at school or in class. According…
Twitter’s new owner Elon Musk fancies himself a free speech absolutist; its one of the reasons he says he bought Twitter! However, as Twitter’s employees are finding out, those beliefs in free speech don’t seem to extend to those working for him. Over the past day, Musk has fired a number of employees for correcting…
Have you ever seen a Christopher Nolan movie? Something like Tenet, perhaps, where time moves backwards and nothing makes sense? That’s what Twitter’s blue and grey checkmark saga is starting to feel like. Here’s a short recap of the events so far. Twitter’s blue checkmark used to prove users’ identities. Then, shortly after acquiring Twitter,…
Well, this sure clears things up. Twitter has been fielding widespread criticism for its plan to charge for the coveted “blue tick”, which in the days before Elon Musk’s acquisition of the company used to mean simply that the account sporting it was actually run by the person or entity it purported to be. Twitter…
Elon Musk needs to make money…and fast. And he’s eyeing Twitter users’ wallets to do it. Musk recently paid $44 billion for Twitter, a company that has turned a profit only twice in the past 10 years, and now he has billions in debt plus creditors and investors to please. What’s more, advertisers are fleeing…