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Source: Kevin Carter / Getty / Donald Trump / TikTok
TikTok’s “savior,” Donald Trump, has given TikTok more time to secure a sale, but it’s still unclear if his actions will delay the platform’s ban in the United States.
On his first unfortunate day back in office, Monday, January 20, Donald Trump put his ugly a** signature to paper, signing an executive order stalling the federal ban on TikTok for 75 days.
According to the New York Times, the executive order instructs the Attorney General, presumably a Trump loyalist, and his former attorney, Pam Bondi, not to enforce the ban, giving his sorry administration “an opportunity to determine the appropriate course forward.”
When signing the executive order, Trump told reporters that if a deal is struck, “the U.S. should be entitled to get half of TikTok.”
According to the New York Times, the executive order could face legal challenges, specifically on his having the power to stop a federal law.
Donald Trump “Gets” TikTok Now
Trump’s executive action comes after TikTok hilariously banned itself early Saturday night, flipping the switch and turning off service in the U.S., and then turning back on Sunday following Trump’s announcement that he planned to sign an EO.
When users launched the app, they were greeted by a notification from TikTok telling them they could use the service stateside once again. They thanked Donald Trump for his help, sparking instant reactions from users who called the whole moment a stunt, likening it to Trump delaying stimulus checks so that he could put his signature on them.
When asked about his change of heart about TikTok, Trump told reporters, “Because I got to use it…TikTok is largely about young kids…if China is gonna get information about young kids, I don’t know.”
Donald Trump is asked about TikTok:
“Every rich person has called me about TikTok.”
Asked why he delayed the ban:
“Because I got to use it…TikTok is largely about young kids…if China is gonna get information about young kids, I dunno.”
Wow…just…wow. pic.twitter.com/M052GgekMO
— Art Candee 🍿🥤 (@ArtCandee) January 21, 2025
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LMAO, WHAT?
We shall see what happens with TikTok because the platform’s future still looks shaky despite its CEO, Shou Zi Chew, kissing the ring right now.
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Source: NurPhoto / Getty / TikTok Ban
Welp, TikTok and its China-based owner ByteDance f***ed around and found out. Late Saturday night, TikTok was officially banned in the U.S., but it’s back up after Donald Trump vowed to save it. Shockingly, the card-collecting video game Marvel Snap and video editing app CapCut are still down for the count.
TikTok went dark last night, causing all the influencers to lose their sh*t and take their grievances to X, Instagram, and wherever else they can hit a publish button.
Last night, TikTok’s 187 million U.S. users were greeted with a message telling them they could no longer use the app and that the company was fortunate that Felon 47, Donald Trump, would work with them to find a solution.
“Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now. A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now,” the message begins. “We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!”
TikTok cooked 😂🤣 pic.twitter.com/hzQvE5N6gG
— B E A N Z The Gamer Dad(beanzgotgamez.bsky.social) (@BeanzGotGamez) January 19, 2025
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Gen Z’s nightmare scenario of either having to put their phones down or use other social media platforms to share bad takes and do dance videos came to an end on Sunday after President-elect Trump said on his bullsh*t platform, Truth Social, that he will issue an executive order on Monday to save it.
Per MSNBC:
“I’m asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security. The order will also confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.”
As of this writing, the switch has been flipped back on in the U.S., with the company writing in a post on X, formerly Twitter, “In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service. We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive.”
“It’s a strong stand for the First Amendment and against arbitrary censorship. We will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States.”
STATEMENT FROM TIKTOK:
In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service. We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170…
— TikTok Policy (@TikTokPolicy) January 19, 2025
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The effort to ban TikTok was started by Trump in 2020 pic.twitter.com/7npCMW08qJ
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) January 17, 2025
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The TikTok Jig Is Loading….
While this may seem like a win for everyone, some see the jig, accurately pointing out that Donald Trump called for TikTok to be banned during the tail end of his disastrous presidency.
Popular political commentator @2RawTooReal pointed out how Trump and the CEO of TikTok, Shou Zi Chew, are in “cahoots” because Chew will be attending Trump’s now indoor inauguration ceremony. He also points out in his video that Trump wrote the EO (executive order) calling for the platform to be banned, but only for President Biden to revoke it when he took office.
2RawTooReal also points out that the law allows the president to grant TikTok a 90-day extension, allowing TikTok to find a buyer or, as he points out, allow Trump to work with the Republican-controlled Senate and House to pass a bill saving the platform, making Trump look like a hero and a champion of entrepreneurs.
He also points out that Chew shared a video of far-right political activist Charlie Kirk on his TikTok page and that the app buried his and other videos of users fact-checking misinformation about Vice President Kamala Harris.
The TikTok CEO and Donald Trump are in cahoots pic.twitter.com/IZT3HJrmni
— 2RawTooReal (@2RawTooReal) January 19, 2025
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Marvel Snap Is Still Down
While TikTok is back up, Marvel Snap is still down. Now, why, you might ask? IGN reports that the game was “developed by Second Dinner and was published by ByteDance-owned publisher Nuverse, which is what led to the ban.”
Well damn.
Second Dinner’s Chief Development Officer and Co-Founder, Ben Brode, revealed on BlueSky that the ban surprised his company.
“Unfortunately, Marvel Snap is temporarily unavailable in U.S. app stores and is unavailable to play in the U.S. This was a surprise to Second Dinner and our publisher Nuverse,” Brode wrote. “We’re actively working on getting the game up as soon as possible and will update you once we have more to share.”
He offered those thirsty to log in and give advice, suggesting they should use a VPN.
“FWIW I am hearing that VPN software will allow you to continue playing Marvel Snap in the meantime, as long as you pretend you’re from Canada or something,” he said.
What a mess.
You can see more reactions to the whole TikTok fiasco in the gallery below.
1. Donald Trump is not slick
2. Hit Charlie Kirk with the mean “this you?”
3. Accurate
4. Symone Sanders & The Weekend crew see the jig
5. Glad y’all are happy
6. This gif is always gold
7. Never forget
8. Please, don’t forget that Republicans don’t want to ban assault weapons
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Source: SOPA Images / Getty / TikTok
Welp, it’s not looking good for everyone’s favorite social media platform, TikTok. The Supreme Court upheld the law banning the app in the U.S. if its Chinese owner, ByteDance, couldn’t facilitate a sale.
The clock officially ran out after TikTok’s final attempt to continue operating in the United States. The Supreme Court delivered the death blow, upholding a lower court ruling that ByteDance must sell the app by January 19 due to national security concerns.
“There is no doubt that, for more than 170 million Americans, TikTok offers a distinctive and expansive outlet for expression, means of engagement, and source of community,” an unsigned opinion from the justices read. “But Congress has determined that divestiture is necessary to address its well-supported national security concerns regarding TikTok’s data collection practices and relationship with a foreign adversary. For the foregoing reasons, we conclude that the challenged provisions do not violate petitioners’ First Amendment rights.”
The ban would go into effect under the Protecting Americans from Foreign Controlled Applications Act that President Joe Biden signed.
TikTok’s future in the United States is in dire jeopardy due to no sale on the table that could save it from the ban, forcing social media influencers to find another platform to do their “influencing” to continue making a living.
TikTok’s Fate Is In The Hands of Donald Trump
The outgoing Biden administration is punting on the matter, leaving TikTok’s fate in the hands of the platform’s newest “fan,” President-elect Donald Trump, who said to CNN, “It ultimately goes up to me, so you’re going to see what I’m going to do.”
“Given the sheer fact of timing, the administration recognizes that actions to implement the law simply must fall to the next administration, which takes office on Monday,” the Biden administration said.
“President Biden’s position on TikTok has been clear for months, including since Congress sent a bill in overwhelming, bipartisan fashion to the president’s desk: TikTok should remain available to Americans, but simply under American ownership or other ownership that addresses national security concerns identified by Congress in developing this law,” the statement read by White House Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre said fresh off the Supreme Court’s ruling.
Trump also confirmed on his sh*tty platform Truth Social that he has spoken with China’s president Xi Jinping, claiming that he brought up TikTok during the conversation, whatever that means.
So What’s Going To Happen With TikTok?
When the ban officially begins, it will be up to the Google and Apple APP stores to enforce it and keep it from being available to users or face potential fines.
According to Deadline, the roughly 187 million Americans currently using the app will still have access to it, but they will not receive routine updates, rendering it a shell.
According to The Information, TikTok is prepared to go dark in the U.S. on Sunday, but the company could also “wait and see” what the Trump administration does.
Who Are The Potential Buyers?
During the previous nightmare that was Donald Trump’s first term, he was in favor of banning or forcing a sale of the app before his flip-flopping on the matter.
Deadline notes that he cannot stop the bipartisan legislation, but he could ask his incoming “Justice Department” not to enforce the ban.
There were rumors that China was considering Elon Musk’s potential purchase of TikTok. What could go wrong with this man owning another social media platform? TikTok has denied those claims.
Even Canadian Trump fan and Shark Tank cast member Kevin O’Leary is part of a formal bid submitted by Frank McCourt-founded Internet advocacy group Project Liberty to potentially buy TikTok without its algorithm to allow the 170 American users to “preserve the platform’s vibrant community, while also giving 170 million American TikTokers the ability to control, protect, and benefit from their data.”
We shall see what happens with the platform, but it looks like it’s a wrap right now.
You can see reactions to the news in the gallery below.
2. What is wrong with y’all ?
3. There might be some truth to this
4. Never forget!
5. Interesting take on the matter
8. Well, you should ask the GOP about most of those matters, TikTok was the only thing Republicans and Democrats agreed on
10. Womp, womp, womp
12. We shall see if his warming up to Donald Trump will help him in the long run
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Source: NurPhoto / Getty / TikTok
TikTok is currently on the verge of being banned, but reportedly, China is mulling the idea of selling the platform to Elon Musk.
Word on the social media streets is that Elon Musk could potentially add TikTok to his portfolio of sh*t he owns but has no business owning in the first damn place. Musk, one of President-elect Trump’s newest rump kissers, joins another potential buyer, Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary, another Trump fan throwing his name in the hat as a potential buyer of TikTok.
The Orange Menace is now in favor of saving the platform after once being on the side of banning it. In a Newsmax interview, he explained his position changed, telling the “news channel,” “We won young people, and I think that’s a big credit to TikTok. So I’m not opposed to TikTok … I had a very good experience with TikTok.”
Trump on TikTok: “We won young people and I think that’s a big credit to TikTok. So I’m not opposed to TikTok … I had a very good experience with TikTok.” pic.twitter.com/dKDBrvsZDI
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 14, 2025
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Hilariously, TikTok denies the validity of the reports of Musk seeking to acquire the platform.
Investors Business Daily reports that Beijing officials are mulling their options as the January 19 deadline approaches, forcing Chinese-based company Byte Dance to sell or face a ban in U.S. app stores. During a hearing last week, Supreme Court justices seemed to be leaning towards siding with the U.S. Government.
Per Investors Business Daily:
Chinese government officials prefer that TikTok remains under the control of ByteDance, Bloomberg reported citing unnamed sources. But officials have begun to discuss “contingency plans,” according to Bloomberg.
A deal with one of Trump’s most prominent supporters in Musk “holds some appeal” for the Chinese government, Bloomberg reported. Musk could run the business along with X, the former Twitter that Musk acquired in 2022.
The Wall Street Journal, meanwhile, reported early Tuesday that Chinese officials have “internally discussed options including the possibility of allowing a trusted non-Chinese party such as Elon Musk to invest in or take control of TikTok’s U.S. operations.”
In an emailed comment to IBD, a TikTok spokesperson said the company “cannot be expected to comment on pure fiction.”
According to Wedbush analysts, if Musk is serious about buying TikTok, IBD reports that it could cost the Tesla chief between $40 billion and $50 billion.
Meanwhile, TikTok fans are also making moves. In response to the pending ban, U.S. TikTok users are signing up for the Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu, which is now the top-downloaded app in the U.S.
According to the AP, TikTok refugees—yes, that’s what they are seriously calling themselves—claim to be signing up for the app to protest the U.S.’s potential ban on it.
For American TikTok “refugees”, here is a list of Chinese social media substitution apps. pic.twitter.com/eDzpqpE1Ro
— Li Zexin (@XH_Lee23) January 14, 2025
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Bruh.
Is it really that serious?
Whatever happens, a lot of people need to really touch grass.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
1. Mmmmmhmmmm
2. You sure it doesn’t have anything to do with China’s government getting your info?
5. Hmmmmmm
9. Good chance this won’t end well
10. Exactly
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Source: The Washington Post / Getty / Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg told the world how he really feels about Apple as a company and a brand. Spoiler alert: he didn’t have anything nice to say.
Engaging in tech bro-talk with Joe Rogan on a recent episode of the Joe Rogan Experience on Friday, Zuckerberg dropped his opinion on Tim Cook’s Apple.
The Meta CEO criticized Apple for its lack of innovation and criticized the company for what he described as “random rules.”
“On the one hand, [the iPhone has] been great, because now pretty much everyone in the world has a phone, and that’s kind of what enables pretty amazing things,” Zuckerberg said. “But on the other hand … they have used that platform to put in place a lot of rules that I think feel arbitrary and [I] feel like they haven’t really invented anything great in a while. It’s like Steve Jobs invented the iPhone, and now they’re just kind of sitting on it 20 years later.”
Apple’s Lack of Improvements On New iPhone Models Is Hurting Sales According To Mark Zuckerberg
Zuckerberg, who was slammed last week for ending “fact-checking” on Meta and was blessed with a bunch of outrageous fake headlines, continued digging into his rival, sharing he feels customers are no longer rushing to upgrade their iPhones is due to lack new features in new models, resulting in struggling sales of the once mighty smartphone.
“So how are they making more money as a company? Well, they do it by basically, like, squeezing people, and, like you’re saying, having this 30% tax on developers by getting you to buy more peripherals and things that plug into it,” Zuckerberg added. “You know, they build stuff like Air Pods, which are cool, but they’ve just thoroughly hamstrung the ability for anyone else to build something that can connect to the iPhone in the same way.”
Zuckerberg Feels Apple “Traps” Its Customers In Their Ecosystem
He further explained that the company that Jobs built avoided pushback from other companies by claiming its main goal was not to violate its customers’ privacy and security, a problem he feels could be fixed by Apple fixing its protocol and improving security by using better encryption.
Zuckerberg continued, “It’s insecure because you didn’t build any security into it. And then you’re using that as a justification for why only your product can connect easily.”
Mark Zuckerberg’s take on Apple. A must watch. I love Apple products. Always have. However, his take on how they haven’t come up with something truly innovative is spot on. A few examples:
1) AirPods Max 2 … they just added a USB-C charger. Other than that, it’s the same thing… pic.twitter.com/h6Z0bO2jCQ
— Antonio Reza (@theantonioreza) January 11, 2025
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Mark Zuckerberg Shared His Opinion On The Failed Apple Vision Pro
Zuckerberg had more to say. He also discussed Apple’s current flop, the Apple Vision Pro. He did give them credit for their attempt at entering the VR space with its spatial computing device, but that’s as far as his compliments went.
“I think the Vision Pro is, I think, one of the bigger swings at doing a new thing that they tried in a while,” Zuckerberg said. “And I don’t want to give them too hard of a time on it, because we do a lot of things where the first version isn’t that good, and you want to kind of judge the third version of it. But I mean, the V1, it definitely did not hit it out of the park.”
He continued, “I heard it’s really good for watching movies.”
Well, damn.
He also added that “they shipped something for $3,500 that I think is worse than the thing that we shipped for $300 or $400.
Mark Zuckerberg on the Joe Rogan podcast, said that Apple Vision Pro is worse than the Meta Quest: ‘They shipped something for $3,500 that I think is worse than the thing that we shipped for $300 or $400.’ pic.twitter.com/W0T4G4gqCC
— Nathie (@NathieVR) January 13, 2025
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Users on X, formerly Twitter, have been reacting to Zuckerberg’s comments. Surprisingly, many agree with him but accuse him of not truly being innovative.
Mark Zuckerberg is correct here and I can also add that Mark Zuckerberg hasn’t created anything at all
He bought Instagram and some other app and stole The Facebook
He’s just Elon Musk that washes up every day https://t.co/Rd8bhhv6yv
— many nigga face god (@brantweezy) January 13, 2025
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You can see more reactions to Zuck’s thoughts on Apple below.
1. Hmmmmmmm
3. Well damn
5. Some folks agree with Mark Zuckerberg
6. Truth hurts sometimes
8. Let Mark know how you really feel
10. S A L T Y
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Source: NurPhoto / Getty / Facebook / Mark Zuckerberg
Following Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement that his company, Meta, will no longer be fact-checking, Facebook is already feeling the effects of that bonehead decision.
The Meta founder is being smacked with fake news headlines after announcing a policy shift on his social media platforms, Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, to end fact-checking, replacing it with “community notes,” copying Phony Stark, aka Elon Musk’s lame social media platform, X.
Per Raw Story:
One headline shared on X read, “Mark Zuckerberg-Dead at 36-Says Social Media Sites Should Not Fact-Check Posts.“
“‘I killed Jeffrey Epstein but still miss him every day.’ -Mark Zuckerberg, 2023,” another headline reads.
“Mark Zuckerberg, recipient of world’s first rat penis transplant, announces Meta will stop fact-checking,” read one headline shared on Facebook from “The Hard Times News.”
Just recently, the Zuck stopped by every conspiracy theorist and dumb a** favorite podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, where he spoke about how the Biden administration allegedly “called up his team” and “screamed at them” to take down COVID-19 vaccine-related memes and misinformation claiming in response his company said “no were not going to take down things that are true, that’s ridiculous.”
Mark Zuckerberg proved to be a MAGA coward. 🙄
He waited to see what the outcome of the election would be before getting rid of DEI policies and fact-checking. He wanted to make sure the majority supported Trump.
I see why people say ‘eat the rich’ now.pic.twitter.com/d6RJCRl7sw
— Ryan Shead (@RyanShead) January 11, 2025
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Social Media Is Lighting Mark Zuckerberg Up
While the fake headlines are pouring in on Facebook, Zuckerberg is feeling the wrath of users on X, with them accusing him of being a closeted Republican and a coward for being one of the many big tech CEOs capitulating and bowing down to Donald Trump ahead of his incoming and dreaded second term as President of The United States.
Mark Zuckerberg and all of the other billionaire bro oligarchs will do and say anything to protect their power, perks, and privileges. Why is anybody surprised that he has literally thrown his arms around Joe Rogan? And it will only get worse. pic.twitter.com/A8jZINSHqH
— Russell Drew (@RussOnPolitics) January 10, 2025
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No lies detected.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
1. Lol, damn
3. A MAGA coward? Damn
4. Pretty much
7. A thread you should read
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Source: DREW ANGERER / Getty / Meta
Big tech CEOs continue to look weird and act dumb in the wake of the incoming Trump presidency. In what many see as a sign of capitulation, Mark Zuckerberg announced that his company, Meta, will end its fact-checking program and opt to go the X route with “community notes.”
With Elon Musk in his pocket, Jeff Bezos’ Amazon paying $40 million for Melania Trump’s life story, and Tim Cook contributing to the cost of Trump’s inauguration, Donald Trump’s rebranding on social media and in the tech space is well underway.
Today, Zuckerberg, who has taken that AI-generated image of him looking like the ultimate f*** boy very seriously and is now dressing like one in real life, announced the company will no longer be fact-checking content.
“Fact checkers have been too politically biased and have destroyed more trust than they’ve created,” Zuckerberg said in a video announcing the new heada** policy.” What started as a movement to be more inclusive has increasingly been used to shut down opinions and shut out people with different ideas, and it’s gone too far.”
Riiiiiiggghhhttt.
The Meta chief did note that there would be a “tradeoff” with the policy acknowledging that more “harmful” content will make its way onto timelines.
Donald Trump Winning Had Everything To Do With Meta’s Policy Shift
Meta’s newly appointed Chief of Global Affairs, Joel Kaplan, a prominent Republican, supports him. He adds that Meta’s relationship with third-party fact-checkers was “well-intentioned at the outset, but there’s just been too much political bias in what they choose to fact-check and how.”
Kaplan also admitted that Trump winning the 2024 presidential election was a reason for Meta’s policy shift, adding, “no question that there has been a change over the last four years. We saw a lot of societal and political pressure, all in the direction of more content, moderation more censorship, and we’ve got a real opportunity. Now, we’ve got a new administration, and a new president coming in who are big defenders of free expression, and that makes a difference.”
Note how Kaplan also throws the Biden administration under the bus here. Not very subtle. https://t.co/pQxlobk1KW
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 7, 2025
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Sources close to the situation tell CNN that Meta gave Trump’s team a heads-up before announcing the policy change. During an off-the-wall press conference, Orange Mussolini claimed that his bullying of Zuckerberg had influenced the company’s decision.
Q: Do you think Zuckerberg is responding to the threats you’ve made to him in the past?
TRUMP: Probably. Yeah. Probably. pic.twitter.com/1XT01KCDXc
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 7, 2025
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Another One Kisses The Trump Ring
This latest announcement comes as Zuckerberg has been out here glazing and doing his best to get in the good graces of the Orange Menace before his stench reenters the White House.
UFC CEO and big-time Trump ally Dana White joined the company’s board a day ago. Like Tim Cook, Meta has donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund, and Zuckerberg expressed a desire to play an “active role” in shaping tech policy in the Trump administration.
Also, like Cook, Zuckerberg is getting fried on social media for bowing down to Donald Trump.
This is 100% capitulation by Mark @finkd Zuckerberg. Just despicable https://t.co/upTKmJ7si8
— rolandsmartin (@rolandsmartin) January 7, 2025
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Mark Zuckerberg is removing fact-checking from Meta. 👀
I hope most rational people are asking themselves why removing fact-checking is necessary for free speech and expression.
Only liars and con-artists don’t like being fact-checked. pic.twitter.com/RuER0Yhpt5
— Ryan Shead (@RyanShead) January 7, 2025
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This is definitely going to be a spooky four years. You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
2. Follow the money
3. Howling
4. Stay vigilant y’all. Avoid those crazy posts from your aunts and uncles
5. Well damn
7. Don’t fall for the jig
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Source: Tom Williams / Getty / Elon Musk
Elon Musk announced that his platform X will undergo more changes because he feels “too much negativity” is being pushed on it. Hilariously, he continues to be one of the culprits.
Phony Stark, aka Elon Musk, posted on his fledgling platform that an “algorithm tweak” was coming in response to “too much negativity” on X timelines.
Musk, who reluctantly purchased Twitter in October 2022, said in a post on his X account that he wanted to “maximize unregretted user-seconds. “Keep in mind Mr. Positivity also reinstated accounts of conservative accounts notorious for pushing negativity, like his new buddy President-Elect Donald Trump, who was banned on multiple social network platforms for inciting the January 6 riots at the capitol.
“Algorithm tweak coming soon to promote more informational/entertaining content. We will publish the changes to @XEng Our goal is to maximize unregretted user-seconds. Too much negativity is being pushed that technically grows user time, but not unregretted user time,” Musk wrote.
What made Musk’s announcement hilarious is that not too soon after it, he became one of the people he was trying to squash on X.
In response to a post from Joni Askola, a Finnish PHD candidate, that said, “Elon Musk is rapidly becoming the largest spreader of disinformation in human history, hijacking political debates in the process. The EU must take action!,” In reply to the post Musk wrote “F u retard.”
F u retard
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 6, 2025
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So much for positivity.
Social Media Roasts Elon Musk
Social media has also criticized Musk for not being able to practice what he preaches on his own platform.
“I understand Elon Musk wants positive posts here now. So I’m positive that Elon Musk is a f***ing idiot,” one user on X wrote.
Another post read, “This would mean something if X wasn’t the home of some of the most racist, homophobic, ignorant trolls and Russian bots on the planet.”
Welp.
The gallery below contains more reactions to Elon Musk’s announcement and his failure to practice what he preaches.
1. This X user is on to something
2. Maybe this post will be pushed due to its positivity
5. Possible jig spotted
6. Well damn
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Source: Chip Somodevilla / Getty / Apple / Tim Cook
You can now add Tim Cook to the growing list of big tech CEOs who have decided to kiss the orange menace, Donald Trump’s ring.
Donald Trump just got $1 million from Tim Apple, oops, we mean Tim Cook, for his upcoming inauguration, Axios exclusively reports.
According to the website, Cook will personally donate the money to President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural committee, according to sources close to the matter told Axios.
Axios reports the donation “reflects a long, collaborative relationship between Trump and Cook that included many meetings during Trump’s first term, and dinner at Mar-a-Lago last month.”
Sources told Axios that the Alabama native’s reasoning for the $1 million donation is that he believes the inauguration—which Trump famously skipped out on because he’s a sore loser and pushed the big lie that the 2020 election was stolen from him—continues to be a great American tradition, and his generous gift is in the spirit of unity.
Axios also notes that Apple, a massive contributor to the US economy and the largest taxpayer in the country, will not be sending Orange Mussolini any money.
Cook joins other big tech CEOs, such as Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Uber, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
Tim Cook Is Getting Cooked
While he means well, social media is not trying to hear about “unity,” especially regarding the divider-in-chief who makes it his business to sow discord and push conspiracies.
Senator Elizabeth Warren didn’t bite her tongue to the news, writing in a post on X, formerly Twitter, “It’s no secret why Apple’s CEO is sucking up to Donald Trump: Republicans are planning more corporate tax cuts that would give Apple an extra $2.7 billion in handouts.”
It’s no secret why Apple’s CEO is sucking up to Donald Trump: Republicans are planning more corporate tax cuts that would give Apple an extra $2.7 billion in handouts. https://t.co/mzMM3tl2WT
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) January 4, 2025
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Warren is not alone in cooking Tim Cook on X. The gallery below shows more reactions.
1. We all collectively considered chucking our iPhones at the news of Tim Cook’s donation
2. A worthy headline to perfectly describe what is going on
3. Damn Tim, they calling you a sellout
6. Ruh Roh
7. It might be
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Source: NurPhoto / Getty / Apple / Siri
If Siri recorded your private conversation, you can expect a payment as part of a $95 million Apple settlement agreement.
Spotted on The Verge, Apple has agreed to a $95 million settlement with users whose conversations were “inadvertently” recorded by Apple’s intelligent voice assistant, Siri, and listened to by human employees.
Bloomberg reports that pending approval by a judge, eligible parties could receive up to $20 per device for up to five Siri-enabled devices.
Per The Verge:
If approved, the settlement would apply to a subset of US-based people who owned or bought a Siri-enabled iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, MacBook, iMac, HomePod, iPod touch, or Apple TV between September 17th, 2014 and December 31st, 2024. A user would also need to meet one other major criteria: they must swear under oath that they accidentally activated Siri during a conversation intended to be confidential or private. Individual payouts will depend on how many people claim the money, so if you apply, you could end up receiving less than the $20 maximum cap.
The Origins of The Class Action Lawsuit
The class action lawsuit against Apple began as a result of the 2019 report from The Guardian claiming Apple third-party contractors “regularly hear confidential medical information, drug deals, and recordings of couples having sex” while working on Siri quality control.
A whistleblower revealed that even though Siri activates using wake words, there were occasions where that was not the case, noting something as simple as the sound of the zipper could activate Siri.
In response to The Guardian’s report, Apple said only a few Siri recordings go to contractors. It also apologized and vowed to stop keeping recordings.
In the lawsuit, a minor and other plaintiffs said that Siri recorded them on various occasions, sometimes without them even saying a word.
Apple is not alone. Google is also involved in a similar lawsuit.