Melissa Ryan, extremism and disinformation expert, joins Bridget to talk about how disinformation and conspiracy theories led to the riots at the Capitol and where we go from here.




Subscribe to Melissa's newsletter, Ctrl Alt-Right Delete: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/subscribe-to-ctrl-alt-right-delete/

 Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Melissa Ryan, extremism and disinformation expert, joins Bridget to talk about how disinformation and conspiracy theories led to the riots at the Capitol and where we go from here. Subscribe to Melissa's newsletter, Ctrl Alt-Right Delete: <a href="https://ctrlaltrightdelete.com/">https://actionnetwork.org/forms/subscribe-to-ctrl-alt-right-delete/</a> Learn more about your ad-choices at <a href="https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com">https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com</a>

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

DISINFORMED: How'd we get here?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/a2704c62-e1d2-484c-9f19-ae280178a49e/transcript

This is part 1 of a 2-part arc about one of wildest tech stories I've seen in a long time. For over two decades, a husband and wife duo have been publishing EcommerceBytes, a respected trade publication for eBay sellers. But in 2019, someone started harassing them. It began with a spray painted fence, then quickly escalated to death threats and fetal pigs and a mysterious van outside their house. Eventually, they discovered that eBay's own security team was behind it all, with the campaign put into motion by then-CEO Devin Wenig. This bizarre and frightening story is a cautionary tale about the rise of private armies. It starts in San Francisco, takes us to the small community of Natick, Massachusetts, and ultimately takes TANGOTI listeners right back to Madison Square Garden. Buckle up.   

 

Let us know what you think by emailing hello@tangoti.com or leaving a comment on Spotify. 

 

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

Follow Bridget: Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Bluesky

This is part 1 of a 2-part arc about one of wildest tech stories I've seen in a long time. For over two decades, a husband and wife duo have been publishing EcommerceBytes, a respected trade publication for eBay sellers. But in 2019, someone started harassing them. It began with a spray painted fence, then quickly escalated to death threats and fetal pigs and a mysterious van outside their house. Eventually, they discovered that eBay's own security team was behind it all, with the campaign put into motion by then-CEO Devin Wenig. This bizarre and frightening story is a cautionary tale about the rise of private armies. It starts in San Francisco, takes us to the small community of Natick, Massachusetts, and ultimately takes TANGOTI listeners right back to Madison Square Garden. Buckle up.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Let us know what you think by emailing <a href="mailto:hello@tangoti.com" data-linkindex="0">hello@tangoti.com</a> or leaving a comment on Spotify.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Bridget's forthcoming audiobook with Simon &amp; Schuster, Love At First Prompt, explores AI, sex, and intimate relationships. Pre-order at <a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Floveatfirstprompt.ai%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7Ctariharrison%40iheartmedia.com%7C75411c4440c74cd1a40408deb5e511af%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C639148192643884881%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=jOxYtGd%2BnA%2Fux%2Byz%2BVZUm%2FJ2V09VhU29TMxCDKnDzYQ%3D&amp;reserved=0" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="1">LoveAtFirstPrompt.ai</a>
Follow Bridget: <a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Finstagram.com%2Fbridgetmarieindc%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7Ctariharrison%40iheartmedia.com%7C75411c4440c74cd1a40408deb5e511af%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C639148192643912933%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=WPFX0jlejbhFSnDDwp6mXpr1Fr0tCosNf4FY1t60e%2FU%3D&amp;reserved=0" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="2">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftiktok.com%2F%40bridgetmarieindc&amp;data=05%7C02%7Ctariharrison%40iheartmedia.com%7C75411c4440c74cd1a40408deb5e511af%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C639148192643932073%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=VxzPN%2B8RVC%2BnEyWcjPHpKoszWsqEM4TkngQiC7ky6gs%3D&amp;reserved=0" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="3">TikTok</a> | <a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutube.com%2F%40ThereAreNoGirlsOnTheInternet&amp;data=05%7C02%7Ctariharrison%40iheartmedia.com%7C75411c4440c74cd1a40408deb5e511af%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C639148192643950689%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=lEVjARfuBxpcZ24Om6Vl3q%2Bqqj7FPhxg3JBBTEwzEJU%3D&amp;reserved=0" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="4">YouTube</a> | <a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbsky.app%2Fprofile%2Ftangoti.bsky.social&amp;data=05%7C02%7Ctariharrison%40iheartmedia.com%7C75411c4440c74cd1a40408deb5e511af%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C639148192643969104%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=E7su1ICy7Hf01A%2FwMtf3iC8Z%2FAicWDpWUQ9kN2epVwg%3D&amp;reserved=0" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="5">Bluesky</a>

eBay's Criminal Stalking Campaign Against a Journalist Was Run by Ex-Cops. They Nearly Got Away With It. 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/683d3432-6549-46c5-a600-b44f0158bd41/transcript

THIS WEEK ON THERE ARE NO GIRLS ON THE INTERNET

Hi — if you found us through Instagram, you're in the right place.

There Are No Girls on the Internet is a weekly podcast hosted by Bridget Todd. Every Friday we drop our news roundup — the tech and internet stories that don't get enough attention, the ones about AI, power, gender, race, and who actually gets hurt when systems fail.

This week: A racist streamer livestreams from a stretcher. A grief post lands a mother in prison. And AI keeps making everything worse.

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. New roundup every Friday.

📰 Here's what we were watching this week:

Black Google employees said the company called them "not Googly enough" — Google just paid $50M to settle the lawsuit. A 2022 class action alleged Google hired Black employees into lower-paying roles, hazed them in interviews, and retaliated when they spoke up. The $50M payout comes with promises of pay equity audits and limits on forced arbitration. 🔗 AP News

A woman posted about her stillbirth on Facebook. Police showed up and sent her to prison for 2 years. A broke single mom in Nevada was charged with manslaughter after an online grief post tipped off a deputy. Her conviction was eventually vacated — but the deputy who investigated her went to the funeral home, took her baby's ashes, and brought them to her own home in Texas. The mother still doesn't have her son's remains. At least 412 women have faced criminal charges related to pregnancy loss since Roe was overturned, even in states where abortion is legal. 🔗 CNN

A female Twitch streamer's fan tried to break into her room. She broadcast the whole thing live. Streamer Jinny was cycling through Poland when a man she'd briefly met in her hotel lobby showed up at her door that night trying to get in. She barricaded herself with a chair, cried quietly on stream, and called emergency services while her chat contacted police on her behalf. He fled before they arrived — and was never caught. 🔗 Dexerto

Elon Musk bragged about feeding USAID "into the woodchipper." Scientists now say 9 million people could die because of it. USAID was the world's largest humanitarian aid agency before DOGE shut it down in 2025. A study published in the journal Science found the cuts triggered an immediate spike in violent conflict across Africa — in the places that needed the aid most. Scientists say even if USAID were restarted tomorrow, the trust is gone for good. 🔗 The Independent

George Floyd's 11-year-old daughter is being bullied at school by classmates repeating right-wing talking points about her father — as MAGA figures push to pardon his killer. Gianna Floyd is being mocked at her middle school by kids repeating false claims about her father's death. Right-wing commentator Ben Shapiro is leading an online campaign to pardon the police officer who killed George Floyd — falsely claiming Floyd died of a drug overdose despite the medical examiner ruling his death a homicide. A pardon would free the man currently serving 22½ years for his murder. 🔗 BET

Peter Thiel used his billionaire money to destroy Gawker. Now he's backing a startup that gives anyone that same power for $2,000. A new billionaire-backed startup called Objection lets anyone pay $2,000 to have a panel of AI models rule on whether a news story about them was fair. The journalist doesn't have to participate — a verdict gets published either way. Critics are calling it a censorship tool disguised as accountability. 🔗 TechCrunch

A commencement speaker told arts and humanities graduates that AI is "the next industrial revolution." They booed her off the stage. When a real estate executive told the University of Central Florida's graduating class of film, animation, and media students that AI would transform their world, the crowd erupted. One graduate summed it up: "A lot of us are worried that companies are using this technology to replace artists rather than work alongside them." The revolution is not being applauded. 🔗 NYT

People are using AI to plan their plastic surgery. Doctors say the results are cartoons. Patients are using ChatGPT to visualize their post-surgery look — then expecting doctors to match it. AI consistently generates cartoonish results with waistlines too narrow for internal organs and nose tips that would block breathing. Doctors are calling it the new "Snapchat dysmorphia." 🔗 Business Insider

YouTube will now scan its entire platform for deepfakes of your face — if you ask it to. YouTube is expanding its AI likeness detection tool to all adults with an account. You submit a selfie-style scan, and YouTube hunts for videos using your face without your consent. If it finds a match, you can request removal. The stakes for regular people are very real. 🔗 The Verge

A racist streamer shot a Black disabled veteran and was shot himself in the altercation. He livestreamed from the stretcher. Dalton Eatherly, known online as "Chud the Builder," films himself hurling racial slurs at Black people in public. Last week he was arrested for refusing to pay a $370 restaurant bill after being kicked out for livestreaming racist content. Days later, he shot a Black disabled veteran outside a courthouse, was shot himself, and livestreamed from the stretcher. He's been arrested three times in six months. 🔗 CNN

Real Housewives of Potomac's Gizelle got caught by the same AI drop shipping scam we covered last week. On the Reasonably Shady podcast, Robyn Dixon talked about how Gizelle fell for the racialized AI drop shipping scams we covered in our last episode. If it's happening to Real Housewives, it's happening everywhere. 🔗 Reasonably Shady

Meet the "Sad Wives of AI" — women running their households while their husbands chase the AI hype. A Wired longform by Alessandra Ram profiles the women left holding everything together while their partners spiral into AI obsession. It's a portrait of a certain kind of tech marriage in 2026. 🔗 Wired

Dating apps are in decline — for the first time ever. The dating app market just recorded its first annual revenue decline. People are logging off and not coming back. 🔗 Business of Apps

Bumble just killed the swipe — and replaced it with AI dating agents. The app that built its brand on women making the first move is now letting AI make moves on your behalf. Whether that's progress or the end of something is a question worth sitting with. 🔗 NYT

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

Follow Bridget: Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Bluesky

THIS WEEK ON THERE ARE NO GIRLS ON THE INTERNET
Hi &mdash; if you found us through Instagram, you're in the right place.
There Are No Girls on the Internet is a weekly podcast hosted by Bridget Todd. Every Friday we drop our news roundup &mdash; the tech and internet stories that don't get enough attention, the ones about AI, power, gender, race, and who actually gets hurt when systems fail.
This week: A racist streamer livestreams from a stretcher. A grief post lands a mother in prison. And AI keeps making everything worse.
Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. New roundup every Friday.
📰 Here's what we were watching this week:
Black Google employees said the company called them "not Googly enough" &mdash; Google just paid $50M to settle the lawsuit. A 2022 class action alleged Google hired Black employees into lower-paying roles, hazed them in interviews, and retaliated when they spoke up. The $50M payout comes with promises of pay equity audits and limits on forced arbitration. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/google-discrimination-black-employees-class-action-settlement-6a23689d337e7da837efd9e58f7082d0">🔗 AP News</a>
A woman posted about her stillbirth on Facebook. Police showed up and sent her to prison for 2 years. A broke single mom in Nevada was charged with manslaughter after an online grief post tipped off a deputy. Her conviction was eventually vacated &mdash; but the deputy who investigated her went to the funeral home, took her baby's ashes, and brought them to her own home in Texas. The mother still doesn't have her son's remains. At least 412 women have faced criminal charges related to pregnancy loss since Roe was overturned, even in states where abortion is legal. <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/16/us/abortion-rights-pregnancy-outcomes-criminalized">🔗 CNN</a>
A female Twitch streamer's fan tried to break into her room. She broadcast the whole thing live. Streamer Jinny was cycling through Poland when a man she'd briefly met in her hotel lobby showed up at her door that night trying to get in. She barricaded herself with a chair, cried quietly on stream, and called emergency services while her chat contacted police on her behalf. He fled before they arrived &mdash; and was never caught. <a href="https://www.dexerto.com/twitch/twitch-streamer-jinny-rescued-after-barricading-herself-in-hotel-room-to-escape-stalker-3365002/">🔗 Dexerto</a>
Elon Musk bragged about feeding USAID "into the woodchipper." Scientists now say 9 million people could die because of it. USAID was the world's largest humanitarian aid agency before DOGE shut it down in 2025. A study published in the journal Science found the cuts triggered an immediate spike in violent conflict across Africa &mdash; in the places that needed the aid most. Scientists say even if USAID were restarted tomorrow, the trust is gone for good. <a href="https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/africa/trump-usaid-africa-boko-haram-nigeria-b2977159.html">🔗 The Independent</a>
George Floyd's 11-year-old daughter is being bullied at school by classmates repeating right-wing talking points about her father &mdash; as MAGA figures push to pardon his killer. Gianna Floyd is being mocked at her middle school by kids repeating false claims about her father's death. Right-wing commentator Ben Shapiro is leading an online campaign to pardon the police officer who killed George Floyd &mdash; falsely claiming Floyd died of a drug overdose despite the medical examiner ruling his death a homicide. A pardon would free the man currently serving 22&frac12; years for his murder. <a href="https://www.bet.com/article/96v7gi/george-floyd-daughter-gianna-bullied-at-school">🔗 BET</a>
Peter Thiel used his billionaire money to destroy Gawker. Now he's backing a startup that gives anyone that same power for $2,000. A new billionaire-backed startup called Objection lets anyone pay $2,000 to have a panel of AI models rule on whether a news story about them was fair. The journalist doesn't have to participate &mdash; a verdict gets published either way. Critics are calling it a censorship tool disguised as accountability. <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/15/can-ai-judge-journalism-a-thiel-backed-startup-says-yes-even-if-it-risks-chilling-whistleblowers/">🔗 TechCrunch</a>
A commencement speaker told arts and humanities graduates that AI is "the next industrial revolution." They booed her off the stage. When a real estate executive told the University of Central Florida's graduating class of film, animation, and media students that AI would transform their world, the crowd erupted. One graduate summed it up: "A lot of us are worried that companies are using this technology to replace artists rather than work alongside them." The revolution is not being applauded. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/14/style/ucf-commencement-ai-booed-gloria-caulfield.html">🔗 NYT</a>
People are using AI to plan their plastic surgery. Doctors say the results are cartoons. Patients are using ChatGPT to visualize their post-surgery look &mdash; then expecting doctors to match it. AI consistently generates cartoonish results with waistlines too narrow for internal organs and nose tips that would block breathing. Doctors are calling it the new "Snapchat dysmorphia." <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-generated-images-chatgpt-reshape-plastic-surgery-beauty-expectations-2026-5">🔗 Business Insider</a>
YouTube will now scan its entire platform for deepfakes of your face &mdash; if you ask it to. YouTube is expanding its AI likeness detection tool to all adults with an account. You submit a selfie-style scan, and YouTube hunts for videos using your face without your consent. If it finds a match, you can request removal. The stakes for regular people are very real. <a href="https://www.theverge.com/news/931884/youtube-likeness-detection-ai-deepfake-expansion-all-adults">🔗 The Verge</a>
A racist streamer shot a Black disabled veteran and was shot himself in the altercation. He livestreamed from the stretcher. Dalton Eatherly, known online as "Chud the Builder," films himself hurling racial slurs at Black people in public. Last week he was arrested for refusing to pay a $370 restaurant bill after being kicked out for livestreaming racist content. Days later, he shot a Black disabled veteran outside a courthouse, was shot himself, and livestreamed from the stretcher. He's been arrested three times in six months. <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/15/us/chud-builder-dalton-eatherly-tennessee-shooting">🔗 CNN</a>
Real Housewives of Potomac's Gizelle got caught by the same AI drop shipping scam we covered last week. On the Reasonably Shady podcast, Robyn Dixon talked about how Gizelle fell for the racialized AI drop shipping scams we covered in our last episode. If it's happening to Real Housewives, it's happening everywhere. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noUoY0Izazc">🔗 Reasonably Shady</a>
Meet the "Sad Wives of AI" &mdash; women running their households while their husbands chase the AI hype. A Wired longform by Alessandra Ram profiles the women left holding everything together while their partners spiral into AI obsession. It's a portrait of a certain kind of tech marriage in 2026. <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/meet-the-sad-wives-of-ai/">🔗 Wired</a>
Dating apps are in decline &mdash; for the first time ever. The dating app market just recorded its first annual revenue decline. People are logging off and not coming back. <a href="https://www.businessofapps.com/news/dating-app-market-first-annual-revenue-decline/">🔗 Business of Apps</a>
Bumble just killed the swipe &mdash; and replaced it with AI dating agents. The app that built its brand on women making the first move is now letting AI make moves on your behalf. Whether that's progress or the end of something is a question worth sitting with. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/14/well/bumble-swipe-feature-online-dating-apps.html?unlocked_article_code=1.ilA.5Pxl.MonAWsmJg0SF&amp;smid=url-share">🔗 NYT</a>
<hr>
Bridget's forthcoming audiobook with Simon &amp; Schuster, Love At First Prompt, explores AI, sex, and intimate relationships. Pre-order at <a href="https://LoveAtFirstPrompt.ai">LoveAtFirstPrompt.ai</a>
Follow Bridget: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bridgetmarieindc/">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@bridgetmarieindc">TikTok</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@ThereAreNoGirlsOnTheInternet">YouTube</a> | <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/bridgettodd.bsky.social">Bluesky</a>

Instagram Instants Flop, Bumble Removes Swiping & Elon Musk Trial Juror Speaks Out - NEWS ROUNDUP 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/e806be44-9470-415e-9ed6-b44b014e105b/transcript

In 2026, Meta is racing into AI with all gas and no brakes — and it's giving us serious déjà vu. We invited Samantha and Anney from Stuff Mom Never Told You to revisit The Social Network and examine what the film got right, what it glossed over, and how its treatment of women tells you everything you need to know about tech culture then and now. Plus: the reported sequel centered on Frances Haugen's findings inside Facebook, and why that story might be the one that actually matters.

 

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.

In 2026, Meta is racing into AI with all gas and no brakes &mdash; and it's giving us serious d&eacute;j&agrave; vu. We invited Samantha and Anney from Stuff Mom Never Told You to revisit The Social Network and examine what the film got right, what it glossed over, and how its treatment of women tells you everything you need to know about tech culture then and now. Plus: the reported sequel centered on Frances Haugen's findings inside Facebook, and why that story might be the one that actually matters.
&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.

 Mark Zuckerberg's AI Era Has a Woman Problem. It Always Did.

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/05956d23-3d33-4ebb-a3bf-b44701515272/transcript

DISINFORMED: How'd we get here?

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