EU safety laws start to bite for TikTok, Instagram and others
Nineteen large platforms have to start complying with new rules as soon as Friday or risk big fines.
2023-08-25 07:25
Somalia TikTok: Government's planned ban leaves creators anxious
A ban, due to come into effect in Somalia on Thursday, could leave some creators without an income.
2023-08-24 21:15
Animal charity warns owners against Taylor Swift 'August' trend
As it is the month of August, it's no surprise that Taylor Swift's song August is a currently trending, as people on TikTok have been using the music in videos to channel their main character energy. But a new spin on the trend has seen people's pets take center stage as they are dramatically spun around as Swift sings in the song: "Back when we were still changin' for the better / Wanting was enough / For me, it was enough / To live for the hope of it all..." From dogs, cats, to a hamster, a goat, even a racoon and a hedgehog are some examples of the animals being spun around as part of the trend, with many looking bewildered at their owner's actions. Here are some viral examples that have racked up millions of views: @.naaaat HIS ARMS REACHING OUT I CANNOT @shaneequah_ safe to say indie loved it #fyp#lambs#petspinningchallange @lizzie3427 He tried to kill me after this #fyp #taylorswift #racoon #august #spintrend @sabz.i i don’t think i did this right @emmacchristie Sorry tilly While the owners may be having fun making these TikToks with their pets, animal charity Cats Protection warned that doing this action is not in the best interests for the welfare of pets. "At no point should an animal deliberately be put in a position to feel fear, anxiety, frustration or experience pain for the benefit of human entertainment," Central Behaviour Officer Daniel Warren-Cummings told Metro. "Cats in particular will experience extreme stress by being swung or spun around and it could even cause them physical harm." "In the videos highlighted, the cats are showing clear signs of distress. Even more disappointingly, these are being described as cute or funny in the comments section by people who appear to count themselves as cat lovers. Warren-Cummings added: "It’s clear from the language that the owners don’t understand that animals don’t feel and behave the same way humans do and this undercuts the distress that the cats are experiencing.’ He also noted that even if the actions in the video are brief, it is still "unethical and should not be encouraged.’ Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-08-23 23:47
Republican debate: The US voters exhausted by their social media feeds
Americans tell the BBC how what they see online is changing their political views.
2023-08-23 22:26
Mexico bus crash: 15 migrants killed as bus collides with trailer
Deadly road accidents involving vehicles overloaded with migrants are a regular occurrence in Mexico.
2023-08-23 02:23
Taylor Swift impersonator admits pretending to be singer in public was 'horrific'
A Taylor Swift lookalike has come under fire for causing chaos when she went out in public pretending to be the pop star as part of an internet prank. Ashley Leechin - who has 1.6m followers on TikTok - sported a white top, blue jeans, accessorised with a red bag, red leather cap, and signature red lipstick in a look reminiscent of Swift's Red era. With several 'security guards' surrounding her, Leechin turned up to The Grove, a popular shopping mall in Los Angeles where she was swarmed by Swifties who believed they were seeing the Anti-Hero singer in the flesh. Leechin then showed up at Downtown Disney, the shopping district of Disneyland in Anaheim, California where she repeated the prank and appeared to fool members of the public. @paolaamarcella Yall think this was taylor? #viral #taylorswift #thegrove #fyp #losangeles The two instances were part of a prank video by YouTuber Victor Galvan (Vic In The Game) who has posted videos of similar stunts, with his latest video being a "Fake Bad Bunny prank.". Clips of Leechin being swarmed by fans quickly made rounds of social media, with people criticising her for pretending to be the popular musician out in public, calling the stunt "irresponsible," especially in light of fans recently congregating outside a restaurant where the real Taylor Swift was eating. One person wrote: "You guys are really irresponsible for doing this given the recent events and the likelihood of security concerns that could arise. Also, this is disgusting!" "This is such weird behavior," another person said. Someone else added: "How is this Ashley girl gonna say she did it because other celebrities hire dupes in the past??? Taylor didn’t hire you, you did it for attention." "Taylor should sue them or get a restraining order against that Ashley," a fourth person commented. Leechin has since responded to the negative online reaction and took to TikTok where she explained she collaborated with Galvan, so wasn't the one who hired the bodyguards, and described the stunt was a "social experiment." @noitisashley13 Sorry late post. ‘A day in the life of a celebrity’ - only because it was Taylor everyone is blowing this out of proportion. If it were anyone else, it would have had a completely different outcome. This is why celebrities would hire decoys so they can enjoy their private event or quiey evening. Thank you to everyone who was so kind & sweet yesterday. Not going squash any other rumors because that is pointless. Just a friendly reminder, please do not bully any of my friends. You can bully me because it seems to be an okay thing to do in the ‘swiftie’ fandom but please do not bully my friends because they were incredible to work with. #itsjustashley #vicinthegame #taylorswift "This social experiment was to live a day in the life of a celebrity to see what would happen if I went out looking like Taylor Swift and so from all the videos that you guys have seen [of] fans swarming, this goes to how far a fandom will go," she said. Leechin also said the stunt was a "positive experience," and added it "was not to be malicious it was not to mock anyone," but admitted the timing was "horrific" referring to Swift recently being swarmed by fans. "It was not a 'malicious act' by any means & I want everyone to know that words do not affect me," Leechin wrote in a recent Instagram Story. "Decoys have been hired multiple times by celebrities in the past (many more than just JLo & Ben [Affleck]). The massive amount of positivity I have received outweighs your negativity. "This really shows how far a fandom will go & the true possessiveness that some fandoms have over a celebrity." In another story, she added: "Please don’t expect me to turn off my comments, stop making content or disappear for that matter. It is called freedom of speech for a reason and you have as much air as you want to say what you need to say. "The videos surfacing are taken way out of context & I just want to say to those who have messaged me and have said very kind things, I see you and I thank you. I just hope those who are angry over speculation do not dwell on this and can eventually enjoy their day." Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-08-22 00:23
Warning: Using Dish Soap in Your Laundry Machine Is a Bad Idea (Regardless of What TikTok Says)
Not all TikTok hacks are actually hacks. Here’s why you shouldn’t wash clothes with dish soap.
2023-08-17 23:28
New York City bans TikTok on government-owned devices over security concerns
By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON New York City on Wednesday banned TikTok on government-owned devices, citing security concerns, joining
2023-08-17 06:25
Close to half of Americans favor TikTok ban -Reuters/Ipsos poll
By Michael Martina and David Shepardson WASHINGTON Close to half of American adults support a ban on the
2023-08-17 04:24
Parasitic worm seen wriggling in supermarket salmon
It is important to eat a protein rich diet, and you can achieve this if you eat a lot of fish and meat. But one women got more protein than she bargained for when she found a worm in her salmon while shopping - how gross. Posting on TikTok, Rachel Lyn said she picked up the fish in a South Carolina branch of Costco before deciding to "immediately put it back" after seeing the worm, wriggling about. "Live parasites in the salmon today at Costco," she captioned the video. @msrachellyn Live parasites in the salmon today at #costco yummmm 🤨😩 Since posting the TikTok, it has gone viral and accrued 2.5 million views. But while it may seem disgusting apparently finding an extra friend in your fish is not uncommon. These “worms” are a parasite named anisakid nematodes, sometimes referred to as herring worms or cod worms. A 2019 article from CBC alleged that “data cited by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control suggests 75 percent of wild Pacific salmon are infected with the parasite.” After reporting on the story, the Mirror contacted the supermarket for comment. Anyone else feel a bit sick now? Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-08-16 19:52
The Madonna squats challenge TikTok trend explained
Madonna's dance moves are part of the latest fitness trend that sees people have a go at the intense cardio routine. The Queen of Pop's choreography from her performance of the song 'Music' on her 2001 Drowned World Tour is the source of inspiration for this particular challenge, (though it's not for the faint-hearted). In the viral clip, Madonna - who was 43 years old at the time - can be seen doing 15 jump squats in sync with the beat of the music, all while wearing heeled boots too. Fans praised Madonna's performance as well as her fitness and stamina in comments. One person said: "The fact she did this at the END of the show." "15 squats IN HEELS! Fit inspiration," another person wrote. Someone else added: "I’m 31 and my knee hurts just watching." "Mother was mothering," a fourth person commented. @madonnaforinspiration June 9, 2001 —Madonna opened the „Drowned World Tour” in Barcelona. #madonna #music #drownedworldtour #2001 #barcelona #spain #pop #concerts #live #fy #fyp #madonnafans #queenofpop #lovemadonna #worldtour While the singer makes the workout seems effortless, TikToker has been having a go at doing the back-to-back squats in what has now become a viral challenge. TikToker @oliviavida05 gave the challenge a go and even sported similar heeled boots like Madonna had on - and she smashed it, also her video received 387,000 views. She wrote in the caption: "Losing count and doing an extra squat about did me in. She did it in boots so I grabbed mine," @oliviavida05 #duet with @Madonna for Inspiration #madonna Losing count and doing an extra squat about did me in. She did it in boots so I grabbed mine. #squats #madonnachallenge While @zuleth9 wore stilettos as she completed the Madonna squat challenge and channelled the popstar's energy and her video received nearly 530,000 views. "That was good! You’re the first one that actually does her head movements and spin at the end," one commenter wrote. @zuleth9 #dúo con @Madonna for Inspiration Madonna siempre 🔥🙌🏽🔝👠😅 cuantos squats contaron jajaa?? #madonna #colorit This jump squat is a basic lower-body exercise that can be used to build up and strengthen your leg muscles as it targets the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes and can be added to a high-intensity workout routine. Elsewhere, Madonna response to ‘ageism’ around Grammys appearance is truly iconic and Lorraine Kelly hits out at Madonna's 'boiled egg' face. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-08-16 00:23
Who’s SheRaSeven? The eyebrow-raising influencer deemed a ‘female Andrew Tate’
A self-help influencer is being compared to Andrew Tate because of her views on gender roles in dating. Leticia Padua, who posts under the name SheRaSeven, on TikTok and YouTube, advises young women to date older men to act as "providers" and pay for them and suggests manipulative tactics to make this happen. With over 20bn views across her platforms and counting, she suggests “using your baby voice” to attract men, ghosting them to make them want you more, and not talking too much on first dates to create an air of mystery. She also suggest women go to high-end bars alone before the after-work rush to pick up wealthy men. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Men who don't have money are called "dusties" and she says they should be avoided. One of her most popular YouTube videos is titled "how to get your man to give you money". @sheraseven1 #sheraseven1 #datingadviceforgirls #asherastargoddess #sprinklesprinklelady #menwithmoney #sherasevenknowsbest #sprinklesprinkle✨️ #sprinklesprinkle✨️ #darkfeminineenergy #levelup Videos like these have sparked the Tate comparison as the controversial influencer also has some completely unprogressive views about gender and the role of men and women within heterosexual relationships. And she is not the only person to be compared to Tate. The proudly “anti-feminist” influencer Pearl Davis has become a darling of the far-right right for her outspoken views on everything from why divorce should be banned to why women shouldn’t vote. The American racked up almost 1 million followers on TikTok, but was then banned but she is active on other platforms and even interviewed Tate once. She was interviewed by Piers Morgan in July and said she was a "fan" of Tate. However, some commentators have rightly pointed out that Tate is facing rape and human trafficking charges, whereas Padua and Davis absolutely are not so perhaps the comparisons are slightly unfair. Nevertheless, relying on men as financial providers is very backwards. So stick with your "dusties", everyone. There's more to life than money! Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-08-15 20:50