Creators

This report by 404 Media discusses an unnamed Taylor Swift fan TikTok account with 90,000 followers that finds people in viral videos and releases their information, like name, occupation, and social media profiles. It does this using PimEyes, one of several facial recognition search engines. And at least so far, TikTok has declined to remove it.

One target told me he felt violated after the TikTok account using facial recognition tech targeted him. Another said they initially felt flattered before “that promptly gave way to worry.” All of the victims I spoke to echoed one general point—this behavior showed them just how exposed we all potentially are simply by existing in public.

Don’t bother trying to open up your brand-new Apple Watch S9 or Apple Watch Ultra 2 — iFixit has done it for you.

The quick jaunt through the watches’ guts will look familiar if you’ve ever seen one of iFixit’s Apple Watch teardowns, but there are some small differences to be found inside, like a higher-capacity, hard-shell battery in both.

Consumers, states, and the FTC are taking marketing claims from wellness companies more seriously — and, increasingly, there are legal consequences.

The lawsuits come as online promoters move from endorsing other companies’ products to creating and pushing their own. Meanwhile regulators are looking more closely at influencer marketing, which is expected to exceed $21 billion this year, according to an industry report.

The phenomenal cast of Baldur’s Gate 3 is now live on Twitch playing a Dungeons and Dragons one shot as their characters. I don’t typically watch D&D actual plays, (sorry Critical Role fans) but I will be present and seated for this because I love all my murder hobo companions and I can’t get enough of them.

We’ve literally just now gotten word that Unity has changed its disastrous new pricing model after developers' protests, which you can read about from Ash Parrish here.

Also, here’s her very first appearance on The Verge’s video channels (Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube), explaining why it’s all such a big deal. Give her a warm welcome!

“We were never meant to see our faces this much,” argues a Dazed essay. The increase in video conferencing may also mean an increase in body dysmorphic disorder, one survey of more than 7,000 people suggests. (The survey also found an increased use of fillers in people aged 18 to 24.) Personally, I find it helpful to turn off self-view in video calls and insist on phone calls as often as possible.

Ruby Franke, a parenting YouTuber, has been charged with child abuse. And now some fans are questioning the genre:

Franke is part of a sprawling family social media apparatus in which her parents and all four of her siblings have their own dedicated YouTube channels, with combined followers around 5.5 million and views in the billions. Halterman found their content fascinating. It even made her feel closer to her faith, as both she and the Frankes are Mormon. “They looked perfect,” she says. But since Franke’s arrest, Halterman wonders if her interest in family vloggers is part of the problem. “I now see it for what it is — exploitation of these minor [children] and voyeurism on my part.”

And when they complained to TikTok about their treatment, they were retailiated against, according to a complaint filed with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Nnete Matima and Joël Carter say their work was sabotaged.

“I did everything in terms of filing complaints, reporting things going up the chain of command — I did everything I possibly could do, but found that the more I spoke up for myself, the worse I was treated,” Matima said in an interview with Bloomberg.

Writer, comedian and YouTuber Demi Adejuyigbe had a long-running bit of increasingly elaborate videos for September 21, featuring an edit of the Earth, Wind and Fire song. You can relive them today!

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NPR reports that the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, which has been on the meme train for years, has released an album called We’re Safety Now Haven’t We.

Its seven tracks remind you to wear a helmet, not to look at your phone while walking, and uh, not to shoot fireworks at other people.

Honestly, they’re kind of bops? Is that what you say? Sorry, I’m 40.

Because he buys US lawmakers.

Jeff Yass owns roughly 7 percent of TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, a stake worth about $21b or most of the bs in his personal $28b fortune. He’s also a top contributor to the Club for Growth (donating $61m or about 24 percent of its total), a conservative group that rallied Republican opposition to a TikTok ban, with Yass spending millions more to support his most influential allies in the cause.

It’s all very gross and par for the course and nobody likes it and LOOK THERE’S A NEW MARVEL THING HAHA IT’S SO GOOD!

Twitch launched the ability to edit vertical clips in its clips editor in May, and starting this week, you’ll be able to publish those clips directly to TikTok from the editor. Seems like a handy way to save a few steps.

Perhaps you’ve seen them: two girls, one wordlessly mixing a drink while the other one snacks. Why don’t they talk?

Honestly, the internet is too loud. The feed is too loud. TikTok is too loud. I’m scrolling and I just want everyone to shut the fuck up.

Turns out it’s still possible to have mystique on social media.

You can join the company’s waitlist for the feature for a chance to check it out. Through the shop, you’ll be able to sell things like downloadable PDFs and server subscriptions.

The company promises that “servers in the US” will be able to use the feature “soon.”

Starting October 2nd, Kellogg is splitting into two independent companies. Its North American cereal business — which includes iconic brands like Froot Loops and Frosted Flakes — will now be handled by WK Kellogg, while snacks like Pringles and Cheez-it will fall under... Kellanova.

Can’t wait to learn more from Go90, Oath, and Tronc.

Craig Fay’s TikTok about Die Hard is a good two-minute watch if you want to one-up someone the next time they want to drop the Die Hard Christmas trivia on you.

It’s more nuanced than Fay presents, so here’s some supplemental reading from Den of Geek with more detail about Die Hard’s sequel history.

The Wall Street Journal writes about the ubiquity of those unauthorized, user-uploaded movie clips on TikTok that may sometimes show up in your recommendations on the service.

WSJ reports that uploaders “appear to” game the algorithm with bot followers that boost a video’s popularity to get it into users’ FYP. Then, once users linger on a few, the algorithm surfaces more.

I’ve been playing F-Zero 99 every chance I get since Nintendo released it this week. It took 43 races, but I got first place... by the skin of my teeth.

It stung a little when Thursday’s Nintendo Direct showed the opening of a race from the SNES F-Zero and it wasn’t a surprise F-Zero GX sequel announcement, but to its credit, F-Zero 99 is a blast.