"In 2025, people who built their careers by being some form of Very Online are now some of the most powerful people in the world. Topping the list-as we predicted he would last year-is Donald Trump. The 79-year-old president of the United States quite literally rules by decrees posted to his social network, Truth Social. The US government, meanwhile, is run by a ramshackle crew of former conspiracy theory podcasters, TV hosts, vaccine skeptics, and entertainment moguls."
"Beyond members of the Trump administration (fair warning, there are quite a few on this year's list), you'll find some of the usual suspects: China's state-backed hackers, chaos-making members of "the com" internet underworld, prolific online scammers, and of course, Elon Musk. Each year, we round up the people who have an outsized role in making the internet era feel like life itself is a relentless, unavoidable comments section-and who cause real-world harm from their digital perch. Here is our list for 2025."
"Donald Trump in 2025 reached what may well be his final form. Unleashed from the shackles of norms, decorum, and checks and balances, Trump's second administration is defined by a relentless pursuit of whatever it is Stephen Miller and Russell Vought think will Make America Great Again. But Trump is still the Poster-in-Chief, spewing an endless stream of attacks, insults, conspiracy theories, and AI slop on Truth Social."
In 2025, people who built careers being Very Online hold major political and cultural power. The U.S. president posts decrees on Truth Social and daily social posts shape governance. The federal administration includes former conspiracy-theory podcasters, TV hosts, vaccine skeptics, and entertainment figures. Internet-native actors such as China's state-backed hackers, members of the 'com' internet underworld, prolific online scammers, Elon Musk, and cryptocurrency phenomena like DOGE exert outsized influence. Online disinformation, AI-generated content, scams, and state cyberoperations translate into tangible harm, turning public life into a relentless, unavoidable comments section with real-world consequences.
Read at WIRED
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