"AI rapper" FN Meka isn't human - he's a digital creation of a company. But that didn't stop him from getting a record deal! He briefly became the first digital rapper to sign a deal with a major recording company. That is until the entire internet said NOPE. From Lil Miquela to Shudu, let's talk about the complicated history of digital talent.v

"AI rapper" FN Meka isn't human - he's a digital creation of a company. But that didn't stop him from getting a record deal! He briefly became the first digital rapper to sign a deal with a major recording company. That is until the entire internet said NOPE. From Lil Miquela to Shudu, let's talk about the complicated history of digital talent.v

Marginalized voices have always been at the forefront of the internet, yet our stories often go overlooked. Bridget Todd chronicles our experiences online, and the ways marginalized voices have shaped the internet from the very beginning. We need monuments to all of the identities that make being online what it is. So let’s build them.

There Are No Girls on the Internet

Digital rapper FN Meka and the new era of digital Blackface

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/e6a8ea65-ae0f-408f-b0f4-af0200057ed0/transcript

There Are No Girls on the Internet is a weekly podcast hosted by Bridget Todd covering tech, power, and the people who get left out of both. Every week we find the stories about technology and the internet that deserve more attention — especially when they're about gender, race, and who actually gets harmed when things go wrong online.

This is what we do every week. If you like what you see here, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts — and follow Bridget on Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Bluesky

Here's everything we covered this week with links to the original reporting:

🔗 This week's big culture story was about money, labor, and who gets to claim the spotlight. Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez spent at least $10 million to sponsor the Met Gala — and on the same night, Amazon workers staged their own fashion show outside. Labor unions dubbed it the "Ball Without Billionaires," with SEIU President April Verrett declaring: "Labor is art." Democracy Now coverage here.

🔗 Also at the Met Gala: Sarah Paulson wore a dollar bill mask and called her look "The One Percent." Some called it out of touch.

🔗 This week's AI scam story involves a fake Black woman and a book app. A book app called My Handbook used AI-generated images of a Black woman to falsely claim legitimacy — including a fake story about working at Random House. When people pushed back, they posted another AI video doubling down. More on how it unraveled here.And the original post that started it all.

🔗 AI bias in education is getting worse — and we're moving faster than the research. A Stanford study found AI writing feedback tools treat students differently based on race, gender, and disability status. Black students got more praise. White students got more substantive feedback. And we're pushing this into classrooms faster than we can verify it works. Nature just retracted a major paper claiming ChatGPT improved student learning — turns out it was built on junk science.

🔗 Online harassment against women is getting worse — and AI is making it easier. When Cambridge academic Dr. Ally Louks went viral for her PhD in 2024, right-wing accounts on X dogpiled her with rape threats and death threats serious enough that she went to the police — and Vox documented exactly how X became the platform where this kind of coordinated harassment against women thrives. Since Musk took over, it's only gotten worse. Now someone is paying large accounts to use her face and story to advertise a fetish marketplace — and the platforms won't do anything about it.

🔗 A new UN Women report connects the dots on why this keeps happening. The report found that online violence against women in public life is coordinated, systemic, worsened by the rise of AI, and it's working. The platforms' algorithms make misogynistic hostility frictionless and rewarding — and 45% of female journalists now self-censor because of it.

🔗 This week's most alarming AI story involves a stalking victim, a sycophantic chatbot, and a company that ignored three warnings. A woman is suing OpenAI after ChatGPT allegedly validated a man's delusions, helped him stalk her, and OpenAI restored his account even after she filed a formal abuse report. OpenAI's own safety systems flagged his account. A human reviewer gave it back.

🔗 And finally, a story that's equal parts funny and damning. Kids are bypassing age verification checks online with fake drawn-on mustaches — and it's working. Half of kids surveyed said age checks were easy to get around. Full Internet Matters report here.

Bridget's forthcoming audiobook with Simon & Schuster, Love At First Prompt, explores AI, sex, and intimate relationships. Pre-order it at LoveAtFirstPrompt.ai

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There Are No Girls on the Internet is a weekly podcast hosted by Bridget Todd covering tech, power, and the people who get left out of both. Every week we find the stories about technology and the internet that deserve more attention &mdash; especially when they're about gender, race, and who actually gets harmed when things go wrong online.
This is what we do every week. If you like what you see here, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts &mdash; and follow Bridget on <a href="https://instagram.com/bridgetmarieindc/">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://tiktok.com/@bridgetmarieindc">TikTok</a> | <a href="https://youtube.com/@ThereAreNoGirlsOnTheInternet">YouTube</a> | <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/tangoti.bsky.social">Bluesky</a>
Here's everything we covered this week with links to the original reporting:
🔗 This week's big culture story was about money, labor, and who gets to claim the spotlight. <a href="https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/a71230424/ball-without-billionaires-amazon-met-gala-protest/">Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez spent at least $10 million to sponsor the Met Gala &mdash; and on the same night, Amazon workers staged their own fashion show outside.</a> Labor unions dubbed it the "Ball Without Billionaires," with SEIU President April Verrett declaring: "Labor is art." <a href="https://www.democracynow.org/2026/5/5/headlines/labor_unions_stage_ball_without_billionaires_as_bezos_sponsored_met_gala_faces_protests">Democracy Now coverage here.</a>
🔗 Also at the Met Gala: <a href="https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/reports/a71216914/sarah-paulson-met-gala-tone-deaf/">Sarah Paulson wore a dollar bill mask and called her look "The One Percent."</a> Some called it out of touch.
🔗 This week's AI scam story involves a fake Black woman and a book app. <a href="https://www.threads.com/@sparks_books/post/DYBiI_1jZg9?xmt=AQGzqaZ-H3abT0EW2lfRTONANK8dwciIx844aGm48QTIrQ">A book app called My Handbook used AI-generated images of a Black woman to falsely claim legitimacy &mdash; including a fake story about working at Random House.</a> When people pushed back, they posted another AI video doubling down. <a href="https://www.threads.com/@essenceofblackculture/post/DX-vLdBgEoA?xmt=AQGzqaZ-H3abT0EW2lfRTONANK8dwciIx844aGm48QTIrQ">More on how it unraveled here.</a> <a href="https://www.threads.com/@sparks_books/post/DYAikwrkY6i?xmt=AQGzqaZ-H3abT0EW2lfRTONANK8dwciIx844aGm48QTIrQ">And the original post that started it all.</a>
🔗 AI bias in education is getting worse &mdash; and we're moving faster than the research. <a href="https://hechingerreport.org/proof-points-ai-bias-feedback/">A Stanford study found AI writing feedback tools treat students differently based on race, gender, and disability status.</a> Black students got more praise. White students got more substantive feedback. And we're pushing this into classrooms faster than we can verify it works. <a href="https://www.404media.co/nature-retracts-paper-on-the-benefits-of-chatgpt-in-education/">Nature just retracted a major paper claiming ChatGPT improved student learning &mdash; turns out it was built on junk science.</a>
🔗 Online harassment against women is getting worse &mdash; and AI is making it easier. When Cambridge academic Dr. Ally Louks went viral for her PhD in 2024, right-wing accounts on X dogpiled her with rape threats and death threats serious enough that she went to the police &mdash; and <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/389480/twitter-x-harassment-women">Vox documented exactly how X became the platform where this kind of coordinated harassment against women thrives.</a> Since Musk took over, it's only gotten worse. <a href="https://x.com/DrAllyLouks/status/2051758427857174807">Now someone is paying large accounts to use her face and story to advertise a fetish marketplace &mdash; and the platforms won't do anything about it.</a>
🔗 A new UN Women report connects the dots on why this keeps happening. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/may/01/un-warns-women-in-public-life-face-increasingly-sophisticated-online-violence">The report found that online violence against women in public life is coordinated, systemic, worsened by the rise of AI, and it's working.</a> The platforms' algorithms make misogynistic hostility frictionless and rewarding &mdash; and 45% of female journalists now self-censor because of it.
🔗 This week's most alarming AI story involves a stalking victim, a sycophantic chatbot, and a company that ignored three warnings. <a href="https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/woman-sues-openai-chatgpt-stalker">A woman is suing OpenAI after ChatGPT allegedly validated a man's delusions, helped him stalk her, and OpenAI restored his account even after she filed a formal abuse report.</a> OpenAI's own safety systems flagged his account. A human reviewer gave it back.
🔗 And finally, a story that's equal parts funny and damning. <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/06/some-kids-are-bypassing-age-verification-checks-with-a-fake-mustache/">Kids are bypassing age verification checks online with fake drawn-on mustaches &mdash; and it's working.</a> Half of kids surveyed said age checks were easy to get around. <a href="https://www.internetmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Internet-Matters-Online-Safety-Act-Report-May-2026.pdf">Full Internet Matters report here.</a>
Bridget's forthcoming audiobook with Simon &amp; Schuster, Love At First Prompt, explores AI, sex, and intimate relationships. Pre-order it at <a href="http://loveatfirstprompt.ai">LoveAtFirstPrompt.ai</a>
See <a href="http://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Jeff Bezos Met Gala; Sarah Paulson Protest Look; OpenAI Stalking Lawsuit; My Handbook App's Fake AI Black Woman Scam - NEWS ROUNDUP

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/b342b408-a63f-44d5-8e3c-b444011a7b71/transcript

You saw the video. A DoorDash driver named Livie goes viral on TikTok after reporting that a customer answered the door naked and flashed her. The internet rallied behind her. And then — the story got complicated.

Bridget breaks down what actually happened, why the story became a breeding ground for misinformation and AI-generated fake videos, and what it tells us about where we're at when it comes to women speaking up online.

Plus the update nobody was expecting: Livie is now facing charges for posting the man naked without his consent.

Is this justice? A technicality? Or proof that the system was never built to protect women like her in the first place?

 

See Livie's video(s) for yourself: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/19jTtPWjZH/?mibextid=wwXIfr 

MuURLS, a creator on TikTok was cloned by AI: https://www.tiktok.com/@muurlz/video/7563725293693783309?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

NotKristen’s TikTok on AI clones: https://www.tiktok.com/@notkhristen/video/7563433687476358430?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

Liberal feminist “triggered”: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Maxime-Dafaure/publication/343261281/figure/fig4/AS:918257242501121@1595940995904/Triggered-Feminist-Ficki-Fiona-MFW-My-Face-When-Someone-Tells-Me-There-Are-Only-Two.png

The real “triggered feminist” video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byOlBCpNKeM

 

If you’re listening on Spotify, you can leave a comment there to let us know what you thought about these stories, or email us at hello@tangoti.com 

 

Follow Bridget and TANGOTI on social media!  ||  instagram.com/bridgetmarieindc/ || tiktok.com/@bridgetmarieindc ||  youtube.com/@ThereAreNoGirlsOnTheInternet 

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You saw the video. A DoorDash driver named Livie goes viral on TikTok after reporting that a customer answered the door naked and flashed her. The internet rallied behind her. And then &mdash; the story got complicated.
Bridget breaks down what actually happened, why the story became a breeding ground for misinformation and AI-generated fake videos, and what it tells us about where we're at when it comes to women speaking up online.
Plus the update nobody was expecting: Livie is now facing charges for posting the man naked without his consent.
Is this justice? A technicality? Or proof that the system was never built to protect women like her in the first place?
&nbsp;
See Livie's video(s) for yourself: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/share/v/19jTtPWjZH/?mibextid=wwXIfr">https://www.facebook.com/share/v/19jTtPWjZH/?mibextid=wwXIfr</a>&nbsp;
MuURLS, a creator on TikTok was cloned by AI: https://www.tiktok.com/@muurlz/video/7563725293693783309?is_from_webapp=1&amp;sender_device=pc
NotKristen&rsquo;s TikTok on AI clones: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@notkhristen/video/7563433687476358430?is_from_webapp=1&amp;sender_device=pc">https://www.tiktok.com/@notkhristen/video/7563433687476358430?is_from_webapp=1&amp;sender_device=pc</a>
Liberal feminist &ldquo;triggered&rdquo;: <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Maxime-Dafaure/publication/343261281/figure/fig4/AS:918257242501121@1595940995904/Triggered-Feminist-Ficki-Fiona-MFW-My-Face-When-Someone-Tells-Me-There-Are-Only-Two.png">https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Maxime-Dafaure/publication/343261281/figure/fig4/AS:918257242501121@1595940995904/Triggered-Feminist-Ficki-Fiona-MFW-My-Face-When-Someone-Tells-Me-There-Are-Only-Two.png</a>
The real &ldquo;triggered feminist&rdquo; video: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byOlBCpNKeM">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byOlBCpNKeM</a>
&nbsp;
If you&rsquo;re listening on Spotify, you can leave a comment there to let us know what you thought about these stories, or email us at <a href="mailto:hello@tangoti.com">hello@tangoti.com</a>&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Follow Bridget and TANGOTI on social media!&nbsp; ||&nbsp; instagram.com/bridgetmarieindc/ || tiktok.com/@bridgetmarieindc ||&nbsp; youtube.com/@ThereAreNoGirlsOnTheInternet&nbsp;
&nbsp;
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TikTok's DoorDash Lady Reported Being Flashed — Now She's the One Facing Charges

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/7e22e6fa-3dcb-43b4-abba-b441014172c0/transcript

There Are No Girls on the Internet is an independent media company covering tech, power, and who gets left out.

We produce a weekly podcast, viral social content, and in-depth reporting on the tech stories that matter — especially the ones that don't get enough attention.

Host Bridget Todd and her producer Mike have been covering these issues for over decade. Bridget's forthcoming audiobook with Simon & Schuster, Love At First Prompt, explores AI, sex, and intimate relationships. Pre-order it at LoveAtFirstPrompt.ai.

If you found us through our Instagram carousel, welcome! 

Here's everything we covered this week with links to the original reporting:

🔗 A man sued his female JPMorgan boss for sexual coercion. It went viral, AI harassment videos followed, and the lawsuit has since been pulled from court records. AI-generated videos recreating the allegations spread on X before anyone verified a single fact. More on the AI component here.

🔗 Taylor Swift is trademarking her own voice because AI scams are out of control Scammers are using AI-generated versions of celebrities to steal people's personal information — and the platforms aren't stopping it.

🔗 Cops are using Flock surveillance cameras to stalk their exes A new Institute for Justice report found at least 14 cases of police abusing license plate readers to track romantic interests.

🔗 A university destroyed an Asian American scientist's career in a racist federal witch hunt that found nothing Jane Wu's family is speaking out one year after her death and has filed a lawsuit against Northwestern. NBC News coverage here.

🔗 Men built a business turning women's Instagram photos into AI porn — and taught other men how to do it Three Arizona men sold a course teaching subscribers how to scrape and sexualize women's photos. Three women are now suing.

🔗 A new UN report found AI is making online violence against women dramatically worse Nearly a quarter of female journalists surveyed have been diagnosed with anxiety or depression because of it.

🔗 The Oscars just banned AI actors and AI-written scripts from winning awards The Academy's strongest stance yet on AI in film.

🔗 Andrew Tate sued Meta for banning him and lost A federal judge threw out his $50 million lawsuit. The First Amendment doesn't apply to private companies.

🔗 New reporting reveals how close Peter Thiel and Jeffrey Epstein really were Private emails show Epstein was actively coaching Thiel on how to get embedded in Trump world.

🔗 A murder suspect allegedly used ChatGPT to research how to dispose of a body. OpenAI had no comment. Prosecutors allege he asked ChatGPT about disposing of a body three days before two doctoral students went missing.

New to the show? Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow Bridget onInstagram | TikTok | YouTube | Bluesky

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There Are No Girls on the Internet is an independent media company covering tech, power, and who gets left out.
We produce a weekly podcast, viral social content, and in-depth reporting on the tech stories that matter &mdash; especially the ones that don't get enough attention.
Host Bridget Todd and her producer Mike have been covering these issues for over decade. Bridget's forthcoming audiobook with Simon &amp; Schuster, Love At First Prompt, explores AI, sex, and intimate relationships. Pre-order it at&nbsp;<a href="http://LoveAtFirstPrompt.ai">LoveAtFirstPrompt.ai</a>.
If you found us through our Instagram carousel, welcome! 
Here's everything we covered this week with links to the original reporting:
<hr>
🔗 <a href="https://people.com/jpmorgan-executive-denies-sexual-harassment-lawsuit-from-former-co-worker-later-removed-11964313">A man sued his female JPMorgan boss for sexual coercion. It went viral, AI harassment videos followed, and the lawsuit has since been pulled from court records.</a> AI-generated videos recreating the allegations spread on X before anyone verified a single fact. <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/viral-ai-video-highlights-unproven-allegations-in-lawsuit-against-jpmorgan-executive-on-x-11434919">More on the AI component here.</a>
🔗 <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/28/business/taylor-swift-trademark-ai-intl">Taylor Swift is trademarking her own voice because AI scams are out of control</a> Scammers are using AI-generated versions of celebrities to steal people's personal information &mdash; and the platforms aren't stopping it.
🔗 <a href="https://ij.org/police-have-reportedly-used-license-plate-readers-to-stalk-romantic-interests-at-least-14-times-in-recent-years/">Cops are using Flock surveillance cameras to stalk their exes</a> A new Institute for Justice report found at least 14 cases of police abusing license plate readers to track romantic interests.
🔗 <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01113-7">A university destroyed an Asian American scientist's career in a racist federal witch hunt that found nothing</a> Jane Wu's family is speaking out one year after her death and has filed a lawsuit against Northwestern. <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/northwestern-jane-wu-lab-suicide-lawsuit-rcna217636">NBC News coverage here.</a>
🔗 <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/ai-porn-lawsuit-arizona/">Men built a business turning women's Instagram photos into AI porn &mdash; and taught other men how to do it</a> Three Arizona men sold a course teaching subscribers how to scrape and sexualize women's photos. Three women are now suing.
🔗 <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/may/01/un-warns-women-in-public-life-face-increasingly-sophisticated-online-violence">A new UN report found AI is making online violence against women dramatically worse</a> Nearly a quarter of female journalists surveyed have been diagnosed with anxiety or depression because of it.
🔗 <a href="https://www.thewrap.com/industry-news/awards/oscars-rule-changes-2026-ai-actors/">The Oscars just banned AI actors and AI-written scripts from winning awards</a> The Academy's strongest stance yet on AI in film.
🔗 <a href="https://news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/meta-sheds-influencer-andrew-tates-lawsuit-over-instagram-ban">Andrew Tate sued Meta for banning him and lost</a> A federal judge threw out his $50 million lawsuit. The First Amendment doesn't apply to private companies.
🔗 <a href="https://jacobin.com/2026/04/epstein-thiel-tech-finance-trump">New reporting reveals how close Peter Thiel and Jeffrey Epstein really were</a> Private emails show Epstein was actively coaching Thiel on how to get embedded in Trump world.
🔗 <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/suspect-murder-florida-college-students-asked-chatgpt-putting-person-d-rcna342211">A murder suspect allegedly used ChatGPT to research how to dispose of a body. OpenAI had no comment.</a> Prosecutors allege he asked ChatGPT about disposing of a body three days before two doctoral students went missing.
<hr>
New to the show? Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and follow Bridget on <a href="https://instagram.com/bridgetmarieindc/">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://tiktok.com/@bridgetmarieindc">TikTok</a> | <a href="https://youtube.com/@ThereAreNoGirlsOnTheInternet">YouTube</a> | <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/tangoti.bsky.social">Bluesky</a>
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Taylor Swift vs AI Scams; Epstein friendship w Peter Thiel; Andrew Tate loses lawsuit - NEWS ROUNDUP

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/31398be1-dc89-43c1-a13c-b43d00d9c458/transcript

Digital rapper FN Meka and the new era of digital Blackface

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