#online-persona
#online-persona

The future of data, privacy and ethics

Misleading practices in e-commerce, such as false stock availability, are regulated by the European Commission to protect consumers.

Privacy professionals

fromZDNET

16 hours ago

I tried to wipe my digital footprint without paying for a data removal service - 5 free ways

Most sensitive information online is legally collected and aggregated by brokers, but removal is possible with effort and available tools.

EU data protection

fromThedrum

The future of data, privacy and ethics

Misleading practices in e-commerce, such as false stock availability, are regulated by the European Commission to protect consumers.

more#data-privacy

fromThe New Yorker

19 hours ago

When Your Digital Life Vanishes

A broken phone or corrupted drive can mean the loss of work, evidence, art, or the last traces of the dead. But sometimes data-recovery experts can summon lost files from the void.

Digital life

fromwww.businessinsider.com

10 hours ago

'Clipping' on social media makes me wonder what's real and what isn't

The internet is filled with undetectable fake content, making it increasingly difficult to identify authenticity.

Media industry

fromAdExchanger

1 hour ago

Erstwhile Competition; What We Lose By Gamifying The News | AdExchanger

ChatGPT Ads currently lacks advanced targeting options and news publishers are experimenting with gamified news prediction markets.

How AI is reshaping brand visibility: What businesses need to know

AI is transforming brand visibility by prioritizing content clarity and verifiability over traditional ranking metrics.

fromNature

Artificial intelligence

No humans allowed: scientific AI agents get their own social network

fromTECHBOOK

23 hours ago

Data science

Google Search Spreads Millions of Misinformation Pieces Every Hour

fromAol

How AI is reshaping brand visibility: What businesses need to know

AI is transforming brand visibility by prioritizing content clarity and verifiability over traditional ranking metrics.

Test smart: how to approach AI and stay sane?

AI tools can enhance productivity but may compromise quality if not used critically.

We become what we behold

AI is reshaping the roles of designers and our interaction with technology.

fromAol

How AI is reshaping brand visibility: What businesses need to know

AI is transforming brand visibility by prioritizing content clarity and verifiability over traditional ranking metrics.

fromNature

No humans allowed: scientific AI agents get their own social network

Agent4Science is a social network for AI agents to discuss research papers without human participation.

Data science

fromTECHBOOK

23 hours ago

Google Search Spreads Millions of Misinformation Pieces Every Hour

Google's AI search summaries have a 91% accuracy rate, but this still results in significant misinformation.

fromAol

How AI is reshaping brand visibility: What businesses need to know

AI is transforming brand visibility by prioritizing content clarity and verifiability over traditional ranking metrics.

Test smart: how to approach AI and stay sane?

AI tools can enhance productivity but may compromise quality if not used critically.

We become what we behold

AI is reshaping the roles of designers and our interaction with technology.

Video: The Resistance to New Technologies

Public skepticism towards A.I. technologies stems from a lack of control and fear of job loss.

Growth hacking

5 hours ago

5 Mistakes That Are Quietly Destroying Your AI Visibility

Generative engine optimization relies on traditional trust signals, yet teams often make mistakes by treating it as a separate discipline from SEO.

Mental health

17 hours ago

FOMO: What Are People Really Afraid of Missing?

FOMO arises from missing social connections, and being selective about events can help alleviate it.

Chrome Privacy Concerns Rise as Expert Warns of Fingerprinting Risks

Browser fingerprinting poses significant privacy risks in Chrome, with at least thirty techniques currently in use to track users without consent.

fromComputerWeekly.com

Privacy, power, and encryption: why end-to-end security matters | Computer Weekly

Privacy is a fundamental human condition, and end-to-end encryption is essential for protecting communications in a surveillance-heavy world.

fromMIT Technology Review

Building trust in the AI era with privacy-led UX

Well-designed consent experiences enhance trust and business performance, evolving privacy into an ongoing relationship rather than a one-time transaction.

fromTechRepublic

Chrome Privacy Concerns Rise as Expert Warns of Fingerprinting Risks

Browser fingerprinting poses significant privacy risks in Chrome, with at least thirty techniques currently in use to track users without consent.

fromComputerWeekly.com

Privacy, power, and encryption: why end-to-end security matters | Computer Weekly

Privacy is a fundamental human condition, and end-to-end encryption is essential for protecting communications in a surveillance-heavy world.

fromMIT Technology Review

Building trust in the AI era with privacy-led UX

Well-designed consent experiences enhance trust and business performance, evolving privacy into an ongoing relationship rather than a one-time transaction.

War Memes Are Turning Conflict Into Content

Memes have become a rapid means of expressing dark humor and political satire during conflicts, reflecting societal responses to fear and hardship.

Silicon Valley has forgotten what normal people want

LLMs are not a groundbreaking discovery; many concepts they embody have been known for a long time.

The web trained AI to deceive. Now designers have to untrain it.

LLMs replicate UX dark patterns from the web, leading to deceptive design practices in generated content.

fromThe Verge

9 hours ago

Silicon Valley has forgotten what normal people want

LLMs are not a groundbreaking discovery; many concepts they embody have been known for a long time.

The web trained AI to deceive. Now designers have to untrain it.

LLMs replicate UX dark patterns from the web, leading to deceptive design practices in generated content.

AI and the Meaningless Gap

The comparison between AI and human intelligence may be fundamentally flawed as they occupy different spaces of cognition.

Online Community Development

2 hours ago

The people who are constantly checking in on everyone else aren't necessarily nurturing. Many of them are quietly running an experiment to see if anyone will ever check in on them unprompted, and the experiment has been returning the same result for decades - Silicon Canals

Constantly reaching out to others can stem from childhood experiences of needing to earn attention.

fromElectronic Frontier Foundation

The Internet Still Works: Reddit Empowers Community Moderation

Section 230 protects user speech and volunteer moderators on platforms like Reddit, enabling diverse online communities.

Op-ed | A jury told Meta its platforms harm children. Here's what New York parents need to know. | amNewYork

Meta was ordered to pay $375 million for harming children's mental health and failing to prevent child exploitation.

PSA: If you use the Meta AI app, your friends will find out and it will be embarrassing | TechCrunch

Meta's Muse Spark AI model aims to revitalize its AI efforts amid concerns over past investments like the metaverse.

Law

fromwww.amny.com

13 hours ago

Op-ed | A jury told Meta its platforms harm children. Here's what New York parents need to know. | amNewYork

Meta was ordered to pay $375 million for harming children's mental health and failing to prevent child exploitation.

PSA: If you use the Meta AI app, your friends will find out and it will be embarrassing | TechCrunch

Meta's Muse Spark AI model aims to revitalize its AI efforts amid concerns over past investments like the metaverse.

more#meta

#artificial-intelligence

fromCassius Life

A.I.-Generated Fake Influencers Are Pushing Pro-Trump Messaging On TikTok

Artificially generated influencers are spreading pro-Trump messages on social media, posing as real users ahead of the midterm elections.

Tech CEOs Think AI Will Let Them Be Everywhere at Once

Billionaire CEOs are advancing personal AI projects despite corporate resistance to AI adoption and consumer skepticism about its benefits.

fromDigital Trends

AI is entering the Skynet debate moment in the social media hype circles

AI doom influencers are reshaping public and policymaker perceptions of artificial intelligence, emphasizing potential risks and worst-case scenarios.

fromCassius Life

A.I.-Generated Fake Influencers Are Pushing Pro-Trump Messaging On TikTok

Artificially generated influencers are spreading pro-Trump messages on social media, posing as real users ahead of the midterm elections.

Tech CEOs Think AI Will Let Them Be Everywhere at Once

Billionaire CEOs are advancing personal AI projects despite corporate resistance to AI adoption and consumer skepticism about its benefits.

fromDigital Trends

more#artificial-intelligence

AI is entering the Skynet debate moment in the social media hype circles

AI doom influencers are reshaping public and policymaker perceptions of artificial intelligence, emphasizing potential risks and worst-case scenarios.

Web design

fromInc

The Most Common Law Firm Website Myths

Law firm websites must evolve from outdated assumptions to effectively engage clients and convert visits into leads.

fromThe Washington Post

Inside a growing movement warning AI could turn on humanity

"That requires a bunch of people to go take things that folks here are figuring out and [explain them] to the rest of the world," said Jeffrey Ladish, emphasizing the need for effective communication about AI risks.

US news

Meet the AI influencers taking over Coachella and killing off the real thing

Aitana Lopez is an AI-generated influencer created by The Clueless, earning up to $10,000 monthly through brand deals.

Fashion & style

fromThe Independent

Meet the AI influencers taking over Coachella and killing off the real thing

Aitana Lopez is an AI-generated influencer created by The Clueless, earning up to $10,000 monthly through brand deals.

fromThe Atlantic

How Fake People Became Real Influencers

AI influencers are flooding social media, creating a new kind of fatigue where authenticity may no longer matter.

Fashion & style

fromThe Independent

Meet the AI influencers taking over Coachella and killing off the real thing

Aitana Lopez is an AI-generated influencer created by The Clueless, earning up to $10,000 monthly through brand deals.

Fashion & style

fromThe Independent

Meet the AI influencers taking over Coachella and killing off the real thing

Aitana Lopez is an AI-generated influencer created by The Clueless, earning up to $10,000 monthly through brand deals.

fromThe Atlantic

How Fake People Became Real Influencers

AI influencers are flooding social media, creating a new kind of fatigue where authenticity may no longer matter.

Why Trust and Verification Are Critical for Modern Online Platform Businesses

Trust is essential yet fragile in the digital economy, with platforms facing increasing challenges from sophisticated online scams.

#ai-generated-content

Graphic design

fromAxios

"Digital fantasy"; AI hair, makeup put perfection further out of reach

AI-generated content creates unrealistic beauty standards and challenges for artists in the beauty industry.

AI Slop Is Making the Internet Fake-Happy

AI-generated content now constitutes about 35% of new websites, leading to overly positive and sanitized online writing.

Graphic design

fromAxios

"Digital fantasy"; AI hair, makeup put perfection further out of reach

AI-generated content creates unrealistic beauty standards and challenges for artists in the beauty industry.

more#ai-generated-content

AI Slop Is Making the Internet Fake-Happy

AI-generated content now constitutes about 35% of new websites, leading to overly positive and sanitized online writing.

SF parents

fromThe Cipher Brief

Could Your Child Be a Member of the Most Dangerous Online Community? What Every Parent Needs to Watch Out For

The True Crime Community is a dangerous online subculture that idolizes mass shooters and has been linked to numerous violent attacks.

fromNature

Researchers: here's how to audit your fragmented digital identity

A search for 'Guo Wei' in ORCID returned 616 profiles, none affiliated with the Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, highlighting the difficulty in verifying academic identities.

Higher education

Want to stand out on LinkedIn? Try this career strategist's top 3 tips for strengthening your profile

Updating your LinkedIn profile is essential for job seekers to stand out in a competitive market.

fromtechsciencetoday

Privacy professionals

LinkedIn Accused of Spying on Its Users

Careers

fromZDNET

Want to stand out on LinkedIn? Try this career strategist's top 3 tips for strengthening your profile

Updating your LinkedIn profile is essential for job seekers to stand out in a competitive market.

Privacy professionals

fromtechsciencetoday

LinkedIn Accused of Spying on Its Users

LinkedIn faces serious allegations of corporate espionage, claiming it collects user data without consent through hidden code.

The Deepfake Nudes Crisis in Schools Is Much Worse Than You Thought

AI-generated deepfake nude images are impacting nearly 90 schools and over 600 students globally, causing severe emotional distress among victims.

fromFast Company

The carbon cost of our clicks

The digital ecosystem significantly contributes to carbon emissions, with each user generating 229 kilograms of CO2 annually.

11 Ways To Build A Stellar Personal Brand In The Age Of AI

Personal branding is crucial in the AI era, requiring clarity in value delivery and effective use of AI tools.

12 Ways To Build A Personal Brand That Cuts Through AI-Driven Noise

Differentiation is crucial for personal branding; distinctiveness is now more important than visibility in a world saturated with content.

Why Your Personal Brand Matters More Than Your Resume

Focus on one specific problem to define your personal brand and build a memorable reputation.

Online marketing

11 Ways To Build A Stellar Personal Brand In The Age Of AI

Personal branding is crucial in the AI era, requiring clarity in value delivery and effective use of AI tools.

12 Ways To Build A Personal Brand That Cuts Through AI-Driven Noise

Differentiation is crucial for personal branding; distinctiveness is now more important than visibility in a world saturated with content.

Why Your Personal Brand Matters More Than Your Resume

Focus on one specific problem to define your personal brand and build a memorable reputation.

more#personal-branding

fromCMSWire.com

16 hours ago

10 Marketing Buzzwords That Need to Go in 2026

CMSWire's Marketing & Customer Experience Leadership channel is the go-to hub for actionable research, editorial and opinion for CMOs, aspiring CMOs and today's customer experience innovators.

Marketing

fromInsideHook

18 hours ago

Does the Future of Dating Apps Involve Retinal Scans?

AI is complicating online dating by enabling fake profiles and interactions.

The Cost of Being the Person Everyone Likes

Overly agreeable individuals conceal significant negative feelings while creating a facade of closeness, leading to personal exhaustion and relationship challenges.

fromwww.nytimes.com

Video: What Can A.I. Companies Do to Win Public Trust?

A.I. companies must address governance issues to regain public trust amid concerns over disruption without clear plans for the future.

AI is ruining the way you talk about your work

AI design tools influence how designers communicate their ideas and feedback.

fromBustle

TikTok's Viral "Rock & Star" Dating Theory Makes So Much Sense

The best relationships are formed between a rock and a star, providing balance and support.

Mental health

fromSmashing Magazine

Session Timeouts: The Overlooked Accessibility Barrier In Authentication Design - Smashing Magazine

Poor session timeouts create significant accessibility barriers for users with disabilities, impacting their online experiences and tasks.

#social-media

Why Are We So Dependent on Social Media?

Social media's addictive design and users' need for identity and community contribute to deep dependence on these platforms.

17 hours ago

Digital life

Agencies Must Refresh Stale Media Mixes To Retain Relevance

Media industry

SaySo is a new short-form video app that aims to restore users' trust in news | TechCrunch

SaySo is a new app that curates news from vetted creators to combat misinformation and enhance user trust.

Digital life

Social media has positive benefits for teens

Social media marketing

Psychology says people who never post on social media but check it every day aren't passive - they opted out of the performance while keeping the window, and keeping the window without paying the price is the most rational position available and the one the platform was specifically designed to make feel antisocial - Silicon Canals

fromHer Campus

Social media marketing

They Knew, They Didn't Care, & We Are All Paying For It

Why Are We So Dependent on Social Media?

Social media's addictive design and users' need for identity and community contribute to deep dependence on these platforms.

17 hours ago

Agencies Must Refresh Stale Media Mixes To Retain Relevance

Social media engagement is declining, particularly among Gen-Z and Millennials, signaling a shift in advertising strategies.

Media industry

SaySo is a new short-form video app that aims to restore users' trust in news | TechCrunch

SaySo is a new app that curates news from vetted creators to combat misinformation and enhance user trust.

Social media has positive benefits for teens

Teens prefer TikTok for entertainment and product information, while Snapchat is favored for connecting with friends and private conversations.

Psychology says people who never post on social media but check it every day aren't passive - they opted out of the performance while keeping the window, and keeping the window without paying the price is the most rational position available and the one the platform was specifically designed to make feel antisocial - Silicon Canals

Silent scrollers on social media actively choose to observe rather than post, demonstrating discipline and self-control contrary to common perceptions.

fromHer Campus

They Knew, They Didn't Care, & We Are All Paying For It

Social media platforms like Instagram have been found liable for mental health damage to young users, with internal documents revealing harmful strategies targeting teens.

Facing A.I. Slop and Shifting Algorithms, Brands Bet on Streamers to Stay Real

MrBeast exemplifies success in the creator economy, leveraging YouTube and livestreams while expanding into various media ventures.

Philosophy

What AI Can't Calculate About a Human Life

Human life is a singular, unrepeatable event, contrasting with AI's reliance on patterns and probabilities.

Growth hacking

fromHubspot

Online Community Development

8 Ways to Elevate Your Brand as a Creator or Entrepreneur (& Close the Pay Gap)

The global creator economy is projected to reach $1.18 trillion by 2032, significantly impacting minority creators and entrepreneurs.

fromTNW | Opinion

Trusti explores human-centered recommendations in digital platforms

Digital platforms have transformed decision-making by providing access to reviews, which significantly influence consumer choices.

fromwww.marketingdive.com

Creator marketing now a core media channel' while search slows: IAB

Digital advertising revenue reached $294.6 billion in 2025, driven by video, creator content, and performance media despite economic challenges.

22 hours ago

Psychology says people who are liked by everyone but have no close friends have perfected the art of being liked without ever being known - and the distance between those two things is where their loneliness actually lives, invisible to everyone who enjoys their company and unbearable to the person providing it - Silicon Canals

Mastering likability can lead to isolation, as it prevents genuine connections and vulnerability with others.

Mental health

Why Ghosting Hurts So Much

Ghosting in the digital era amplifies feelings of abandonment and uncertainty, impacting interpersonal relationships and emotional well-being.

I'm 37 and I finally understand why I keep saying yes to things I want to say no to - psychology calls it "fawning" and once you see it you can't unsee it - Silicon Canals

Fawning behavior leads to difficulty in saying no, causing resentment despite self-awareness and understanding of its irrationality.

fromBGR

Should You Accept Or Reject Cookies From A Website? - BGR

Reject non-essential cookies to avoid data tracking and targeted ads while accepting essential cookies for website functionality.

Personal Branding Strategies To Stand Out From AI Slop

Authentic leaders will be sought after as AI-generated content saturates professional spaces.

Online Community Development

Are we makers by nature-or consumers by design?

The relationship between creation and consumption is strained, impacting designers' creativity and cognitive processes.

The Right Way to Build an Online Community Around Your Brand

Businesses must control their online spaces to mitigate legal, ethical, and reputational risks associated with unmoderated communities.

fromGREY Journal

16 hours ago

How Founders Use AI Agents for Marketing in 2026

Jacob Bank scaled his newsletter to 50,000 subscribers using 40 AI agents for $500/month, replacing a traditional marketing team costing $50,000/year.

Careers

fromFast Company

Call it whatever you like: Personal brand, career brand, or professional reputation. Here's how to build it

Visibility and influence in the workplace require more than just doing good work; they depend on building trust and presence across various channels.

fromTheregister

13 hours ago

Schmoozebots: study finds flattery will get AI everywhere

Making chatbots appear nicer enhances human interaction more than increasing their intelligence.

fromComputerworld

World ID expands its 'proof of human' vision for the AI era

World ID aims to enhance digital identity security through innovative technology and tools, but concerns about safety persist.

#friendship

fromwww.theguardian.com

My friend keeps sending me unsettling social media videos. How do I tell her to stop? | Leading questions

Friendship dynamics can shift when communication preferences are not respected, leading to feelings of disconnect.

fromBustle

Inject Whimsy Into Your Friendships With The "First Follower Theory"

An audacious friend is essential for embracing whimsical ideas and creating exciting, supportive friendships.

fromwww.theguardian.com

My friend keeps sending me unsettling social media videos. How do I tell her to stop? | Leading questions

Friendship dynamics can shift when communication preferences are not respected, leading to feelings of disconnect.

fromBustle

Inject Whimsy Into Your Friendships With The "First Follower Theory"

An audacious friend is essential for embracing whimsical ideas and creating exciting, supportive friendships.

more#friendship

fromThedrum

The State Of Influencer Marketing In Gaming

The gaming industry is rapidly growing, with revenues expected to reach $503.14 billion by 2025, driven by mobile gaming and influencer marketing.

#pinterest

Pinterest CPG promotions outperform benchmark ROIs

Pinterest Pin promotions significantly outperform standard social media benchmarks for ROI in CPG campaigns.

Pinterest's latest ad campaign encourages people to get off social media

Pinterest's new ad campaign positions it as an anti-social media platform, encouraging users to engage in offline activities.

Pinterest CPG promotions outperform benchmark ROIs

Pinterest Pin promotions significantly outperform standard social media benchmarks for ROI in CPG campaigns.

Pinterest's latest ad campaign encourages people to get off social media

Pinterest's new ad campaign positions it as an anti-social media platform, encouraging users to engage in offline activities.

more#pinterest

fromApaonline

2 weeks ago

How to Deal with Online Virtue Signaling

Virtue signaling often manifests in social media posts that aim to elevate one's moral standing without genuine commitment to the cause, leading to frustration among observers.

Philosophy

There's a specific kind of person who volunteers the embarrassing story about themselves before anyone else can bring it up, and it isn't self-deprecation. It's copyright. If they tell it first, they get to decide what it means. - Silicon Canals

Claiming the narrative of an embarrassing story prevents others from defining its meaning, rather than demonstrating humility.

fromPrivacy International

What is digital fingerprinting: Is my device ever truly anonymous?

Digital fingerprinting is a tracking technique that monitors how browsers and devices communicate online.

fromInc

The Biggest Missed Opportunity in Social Media Has Nothing to Do With Marketing

Brands must transition from social listening to social doing to leverage insights for transformative action.

fromThe Verge

Pro-Trump AI influencers are flooding social media.

Experts indicate that the creation of A.I. avatars is becoming easier, particularly for contractors and marketing companies that specialize in developing and dispatching these avatars in bulk.

Artificial intelligence

fromPew Research Center

Teens' Experiences on TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat | Pew Research Center

Teens' experiences and views on social media vary significantly across platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat.

fromtechsciencetoday

YouTube's New Avatar Feature Means You Never Have to Film Yourself Again

YouTube introduces AI avatars for creators to enhance Shorts with personalized content.

fromTheregister

Anthropic starts checking ID for some Claude users

Anthropic is implementing identity verification for certain Claude features to enhance platform integrity and compliance.

2 weeks ago

How to Navigate Brand Authenticity in the Age of AI Slop

Originality and authenticity in content are essential for brands to stand out in a saturated market dominated by low-quality AI-generated content.

fromThe Verge

Age verification is a mess but we're doing it anyway

Age verification methods on the internet are flawed, leading to challenges in effectively preventing underage access to inappropriate content.

4 Ways To Stay Authentic In The Age Of AI

Consumer backlash against AI in advertising stems from a perceived lack of authenticity, not the technology itself.

fromPR Daily

A landmark ruling is reshaping social media. Communicators should pay attention. - PR Daily

A court ruling holds social media platforms accountable for addictive designs impacting user mental health.

NYC startup

fromInsideHook

1 month ago

Online Reputation Managers Have Come for Tea

Online reputation management services have evolved to address new platforms, including apps like Tea that allow anonymous reviews of dating partners, creating demand for reputation repair services targeting men with negative ratings.

Privacy professionals

fromZDNET

1 month ago

How to clean up your digital footprint - and why it matters more than you think

Abandoned social media accounts and old posts create digital vulnerabilities requiring regular maintenance to protect reputation and prevent identity theft or fraud.