ABC Signature has secured the rights to develop a TV adaptation of the viral TikTok series Who TF Did I Marry?, with Emmy-nominated actress Natasha Rothwell set to star and produce, according to Variety. Who TF Did I Marry? The series was originally created by Tareasa “Reesa Teesa” Johnson, whose 50-part TikTok series documenting her relationship with an ex-husband quickly gained over 450 million views. Johnson’s candid storytelling earned her more than three million followers within weeks. In the show, Rothwell will portray Johnson as she chronicles her turbulent marriage
Elon Musk’s satellite internet company, Starlink, has agreed to block access to X—formerly Twitter— in Brazil. This decision follows a legal order from Brazil’s top court, which resulted in Starlink’s assets being frozen when Musk initially resisted. Court Orders Lead to Frozen Assets Brazil’s Supreme Court, under Justice Alexandre de Moraes, ordered the shutdown of Elon Musk’s X in Brazil as part of his ongoing campaign to curb disinformation. According to Bloomberg, when X failed to comply with previous orders and pay associated fines, the court extended its crackdown to
A beauty pageant controversy has ignited a cross-border feud between Nigeria and South Africa, with ride-hailing apps Uber and Bolt becoming the unlikely battlegrounds. The Miss South Africa controversy Last month, Chidimma Adetshina was forced to withdraw from the Miss South Africa contest after becoming a finalist due to xenophobic backlash. The 23-year-old law student says she was born in Soweto, South Africa to a Nigerian father and South African mother with Mozambican roots. After withdrawing from Miss South Africa, Adetshina later accepted an invitation to participate in Miss Universe
Chicago-based TikTok star Jools Lebron, known for her “very demure,” “very mindful,” and “very cutesy” lingo that has taken social media by storm, is now facing a trademark battle. Others have rushed to trademark variations of her viral catchphrases before she could, but the Puerto Rican creator recently reassured fans that the matter is being “handled.” A not-so demure Trademark Battle Lebron was a store cashier before her sudden rise to internet fame. Shortly after her phrases went viral, several individuals filed trademark applications for variations of “very demure.” Jefferson
A Pennsylvania mother has won the right to sue TikTok over the tragic death of her 10-year-old daughter, Nylah Anderson. Federal law has long shielded Big Tech companies from lawsuits for hosting content created and uploaded by third parties. However, this landmark ruling by the US appeals court asserts that companies can be held accountable for “knowing distribution and targeted recommendation” of harmful content. The Deadly TikTok Challenge Nylah Anderson died in December 2021 after attempting the “blackout challenge,” a viral trend that encouraged users to choke themselves until they
On Friday, Brazil’s top court ordered the immediate suspension of X—formerly Twitter—in the country following a months-long feud with owner Elon Musk. Now, rival platforms are benefiting. Bluesky Sees Surge in Sign-Ups Bluesky, which fully opened to the public in February 2023, is seeing massive surge in users, reportedly gained one million new users in just three days. The decentralized social app started off as a project by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey in 2019 when he was Twitter’s CEO. It has since become an independent public benefit corporation, with Twitter founder
Google has reintroduced its Gemini AI software following widespread criticism of the tool’s initial release, which produced problematic and historically inaccurate images. The tech giant’s image-generating feature was initially paused after it generated offensive depictions, including images of Black Nazis and diverse renditions of America’s Founding Fathers, which sparked backlash. New Features and Safeguards Implemented In response to the controversy, Google has announced significant updates to Gemini’s image generation capabilities. The company revealed that an early access version of the tool will be made available to subscribers of Gemini Advanced,
Instagram has failed to remove 93% of abusive comments flagged for targeting women politicians, a recent report by the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) found. Disproportionate Abuse Faced by Women of Color Politicians Among the politicians studied, Vice President Kamala Harris, Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Jasmine Crockett were subject to abuse. Comments ranged from overtly racist slurs to sexually explicit threats, many of which Instagram left unaddressed, despite these posts being clear violations of its community guidelines. In the 2020 US Congressional race, it was found that women of
Social media giant X, formerly known as Twitter, has announced the immediate closure of its office in Brazil. This decision comes amid an intensifying legal conflict with Brazil’s Supreme Court, specifically targeting Justice Alexandre de Moraes, according to Reuters. The platform, owned by Elon Musk, is embroiled in a dispute over alleged censorship orders that threaten both freedom of expression and the safety of its employees. Legal Battle and Alleged Censorship The closure of X’s Brazilian office follows a secret order issued by Justice de Moraes, demanding the removal of
X has come under scrutiny for running advertisements alongside content from five UK accounts that allegedly spread hate and misinformation during recent racist and Islamophobic riots. The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) revealed that these accounts, which were verified and promoted false claims following the Southport attack, garnered 260 million views in just one week. X—formerly Twitter—placed ads for prominent brands like GlaxoSmithKline and the International Olympic Committee near these posts, generating revenue from harmful content. Hate Speech and Misinformation Fuel UK Riots The controversy centers on five high-profile
