From National Rape Day to the Slap A Teacher Challenge, we’re hearing a ton about dangerous “challenges” and “trends” that start on TikTok. Disinformation researcher Abbie Richards joins to talk about what happens when concern about social media turns into a full blown moral panic.

 

Follow Abbie on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tofology 

 

Want to support the show? (thank you!)

Subscribe, tell a friend, leave a review, or buy some merch at There Are No Girls on the Internet’s store: TANGOTI.COM/STORE

Join our newsletter: Tangoti.com/newsletter

Say hello at hello@tangoti.com

From National Rape Day to the Slap A Teacher Challenge, we&rsquo;re hearing a ton about dangerous &ldquo;challenges&rdquo; and &ldquo;trends&rdquo; that start on TikTok. Disinformation researcher Abbie Richards joins to talk about what happens when concern about social media turns into a full blown moral panic.
&nbsp;
Follow Abbie on TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@tofology">https://www.tiktok.com/@tofology</a>&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Want to support the show? (thank you!)
Subscribe, tell a friend, leave a review, or buy some merch at There Are No Girls on the Internet&rsquo;s store: TANGOTI.COM/STORE
Join our newsletter: Tangoti.com/newsletter
Say hello at hello@tangoti.com

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

What’s fueling the moral panic around TikTok challenges? In part, Facebook.

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/b2b28e29-c1d6-40a5-a8c2-ae9f017cbc10/transcript

In this week's News Roundup, Bridget and Producer Mike cover the tech news stories you might have missed. TRIGGER WARNING - one story discusses disturbing sexual assaults.

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Reese Witherspoon thinks women should embrace AI more. The comments were not kind. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXKphAtkbgW/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

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Gisèle Pelicot's story of being drugged and raped by her husband and other men for a decade captured headlines. A new CNN investigation reveals a large ecosystem of men helping each other commit similar crimes around the world with something like an "online rape academy." https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2026/03/world/expose-rape-assault-online-vis-intl/index.html

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Lauren Sanchez Besos is a cultural force, revolutionizing the way Americans live, and inspiring everyone with her embrace of joy and her perfect marriage to Jeff Bezos. Right? RIGHT?! (wrong) https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/11/business/lauren-sanchez-bezos-jeff-bezos.html?unlocked_article_code=1.blA.i7qg.dQZ7G1_RUIcF&smid=url-share [gift link]

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Workers at surveillance company Flock inexplicably accessed cameras in a gymnasium and pool, prompting the city of Dunwoody, Georgia, to delay their contract renewal after a citizen's open records request revealed anomolies in the logs. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/apr/06/flock-cameras-privacy-concerns

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Why Are Flock Employees Watching Our Children? https://jasonhunyar.substack.com/p/why-are-flock-employees-watching-720

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Women in northern Nigeria have been writing steamy romance books for decades. They are fighting morality censorship by innovating new models of distribution and monetization on WhatsApp. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/article/love-is-universal-but-nigerias-romance-lit-market-is-one-of-a-kind and https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/09/world/africa/nigeria-erotica-writers-censors.html

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

Anti-Occupy Wall Street Champagne Toast Later Today? https://gothamist.com/news/anti-occupy-wall-street-champagne-toast-later-today

Rich people watching Occupy protestor: https://www.threads.com/@yungbooks/post/DEEOKfUOXkA

Pre-order Bridget's forthcoming audiobook about AI and intimate relationships at LoveAtFirstPrompt.com !

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

In this week's News Roundup, Bridget and Producer Mike cover the tech news stories you might have missed. TRIGGER WARNING - one story discusses disturbing sexual assaults.
.
Reese Witherspoon thinks women should embrace AI more. The comments were not kind.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXKphAtkbgW/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==">https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXKphAtkbgW/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==</a>
.
Gis&egrave;le Pelicot's story of being drugged and raped by her husband and other men for a decade captured headlines. A new CNN investigation reveals a large ecosystem of men helping each other commit similar crimes around the world with something like an "online rape academy."&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2026/03/world/expose-rape-assault-online-vis-intl/index.html">https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2026/03/world/expose-rape-assault-online-vis-intl/index.html</a>
.
Lauren Sanchez Besos is a cultural force, revolutionizing the way Americans live, and inspiring everyone with her embrace of joy and her perfect marriage to Jeff Bezos. Right? RIGHT?! (wrong)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/11/business/lauren-sanchez-bezos-jeff-bezos.html?unlocked_article_code=1.blA.i7qg.dQZ7G1_RUIcF&amp;smid=url-share">https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/11/business/lauren-sanchez-bezos-jeff-bezos.html?unlocked_article_code=1.blA.i7qg.dQZ7G1_RUIcF&amp;smid=url-share</a> [gift link]
.
Workers at surveillance company Flock inexplicably accessed cameras in a gymnasium and pool, prompting the city of Dunwoody, Georgia, to delay their contract renewal after a citizen's open records request revealed anomolies in the logs.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/apr/06/flock-cameras-privacy-concerns">https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/apr/06/flock-cameras-privacy-concerns</a>
.
Why Are Flock Employees Watching Our Children?&nbsp;<a href="https://jasonhunyar.substack.com/p/why-are-flock-employees-watching-720">https://jasonhunyar.substack.com/p/why-are-flock-employees-watching-720</a>
.
Women in northern Nigeria have been writing steamy romance books for decades. They are fighting morality censorship by innovating new models of distribution and monetization on WhatsApp.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/article/love-is-universal-but-nigerias-romance-lit-market-is-one-of-a-kind">https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/article/love-is-universal-but-nigerias-romance-lit-market-is-one-of-a-kind</a> and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/09/world/africa/nigeria-erotica-writers-censors.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/09/world/africa/nigeria-erotica-writers-censors.html</a>
.
Let us know what you think by emailing&nbsp;<a href="mailto:hello@tangoti.com">hello@tangoti.com</a> or leaving a comment on Spotify.
Anti-Occupy Wall Street Champagne Toast Later Today? <a href="https://gothamist.com/news/anti-occupy-wall-street-champagne-toast-later-today">https://gothamist.com/news/anti-occupy-wall-street-champagne-toast-later-today</a>
Rich people watching Occupy protestor: <a href="https://www.threads.com/@yungbooks/post/DEEOKfUOXkA">https://www.threads.com/@yungbooks/post/DEEOKfUOXkA</a>
Pre-order Bridget's forthcoming audiobook about AI and intimate relationships at&nbsp;<a href="http://loveatfirstprompt.com">LoveAtFirstPrompt.com</a> !
Follow Bridget and TANGOTI on social media!&nbsp; ||&nbsp; <a href="http://instagram.com/bridgetmarieindc/">instagram.com/bridgetmarieindc/</a> || <a href="http://tiktok.com/@bridgetmarieindc">tiktok.com/@bridgetmarieindc</a> ||&nbsp; <a href="http://youtube.com/@ThereAreNoGirlsOnTheInternet">youtube.com/@ThereAreNoGirlsOnTheInternet</a> || bsky.app/profile/tangoti.bsky.social

Reese Witherspoon AI Gender Gap; Lauren Sanchez Cosplays Relevance; Online Assault Academy; Flock Spying; Nigerian WhatsApp Smut – NEWS ROUNDUP

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/309cc630-1489-4480-a864-b42f016bac54/transcript

Fake AI-generated Black women are flooding your social media feeds, performing self-hatred, pushing porn sites and drop shipping scams, and raking in cash for anonymous creators who'll never be held accountable.

Jeremy Carrasco, the internet's go-to AI debunker, breaks down who's behind it, why platforms keep looking the other way, and why one Black student researcher's testimony made him want to do something about it.

AI Blackface: Profiting on racist depictions at scale: https://www.riddance.ai/p/ai-blackface-profiting-on-racist

AI videos of sexualised black women removed from TikTok after BBC investigation: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c070e283k8vo

Bridget explains the evolution of digital Blackface from its antebellum roots in this Youtube video: https://youtu.be/yh-2il78AEA

Digital rapper FN Meka and the new era of digital Blackface: https://omny.fm/shows/there-are-no-girls-on-the-internet/digital-rapper-fn-meka-and-the-new-era-of-digital

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

Pre-order Bridget's forthcoming audiobook about AI and intimate relationships at LoveAtFirstPrompt.com !

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

Fake AI-generated Black women are flooding your social media feeds, performing self-hatred, pushing porn sites and drop shipping scams, and raking in cash for anonymous creators who'll never be held accountable.
Jeremy Carrasco, the internet's go-to AI debunker, breaks down who's behind it, why platforms keep looking the other way, and why one Black student researcher's testimony made him want to do something about it.
AI Blackface: Profiting on racist depictions at scale: <a href="https://www.riddance.ai/p/ai-blackface-profiting-on-racist">https://www.riddance.ai/p/ai-blackface-profiting-on-racist</a>
AI videos of sexualised black women removed from TikTok after BBC investigation: <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c070e283k8vo">https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c070e283k8vo</a>
Bridget explains the evolution of digital Blackface from its antebellum roots in this Youtube video: <a href="https://youtu.be/yh-2il78AEA">https://youtu.be/yh-2il78AEA</a>
Digital rapper FN Meka and the new era of digital Blackface: <a href="https://omny.fm/shows/there-are-no-girls-on-the-internet/digital-rapper-fn-meka-and-the-new-era-of-digital">https://omny.fm/shows/there-are-no-girls-on-the-internet/digital-rapper-fn-meka-and-the-new-era-of-digital</a>
Let us know what you think by emailing <a href="mailto:hello@tangoti.com">hello@tangoti.com</a> or leaving a comment on Spotify.
Pre-order Bridget's forthcoming audiobook about AI and intimate relationships at <a href="http://loveatfirstprompt.com">LoveAtFirstPrompt.com</a> !
Follow Bridget and TANGOTI on social media!&nbsp; ||&nbsp; <a href="http://instagram.com/bridgetmarieindc/">instagram.com/bridgetmarieindc/</a> || <a href="http://tiktok.com/@bridgetmarieindc">tiktok.com/@bridgetmarieindc</a> ||&nbsp; <a href="http://youtube.com/@ThereAreNoGirlsOnTheInternet">youtube.com/@ThereAreNoGirlsOnTheInternet</a> || bsky.app/profile/tangoti.bsky.social&nbsp;

The Racist AI TikTok Scam That's Flooding Your Feed

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c473ab53-c073-4ae0-a576-b42c015111bd/transcript

In this week's News Roundup, Bridget and Producer Mike cover the tech news stories you might have missed.

Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In is fighting the gender gap in AI adoption, but raising questions about its own leadership. https://www.fastcompany.com/91521751/sheryl-sandbergs-lean-in-is-fighting-the-gender-gap-in-ai-adoption

Gen Z Goes to the Movies! The new Zendaya film 'The Drama' is a smash hit. Younger Audiences Are Driving Box Office Sales, Study Shows

https://variety.com/2026/film/box-office/gen-z-driving-box-office-1236703551/

The FBI was able to recover deleted Signal messages from a user's phone because they were stored in his notification history. Check your Signal settings now to stay safe "Settings > Notification > Store" https://www.404media.co/fbi-extracts-suspects-deleted-signal-messages-saved-in-iphone-notification-database-2/

She Was in Labor at a Florida Hospital. Then She Was in Zoom Court for Refusing a C-Section.https://www.propublica.org/article/florida-court-hearing-c-section

BBC breached editorial standards over BAFTAs racial slur but no big deal, BBC investigation finds.  https://news.sky.com/story/bbc-breached-editorial-standards-over-baftas-racial-slur-investigation-finds-13529270

Ohio creep becomes first to be convicted under new Take-It-Down law for sexually explicit images:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/08/ohio-man-convicted-ai-sexually-explicit-images

Instagram reportedly deletes Bellesa sex toy shop account for using the word 'clitoris': https://mashable.com/article/instagram-deletes-bellesa-shop-account-with-700000-followers

‘This Is Not Me’: Inside the AI Scams Driving Musicians Crazy: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/ai-scams-musicians-streaming-services-spotify-1235535753/

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

Pre-order Bridget's forthcoming audiobook about AI and intimate relationships at LoveAtFirstPrompt.com !

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

In this week's News Roundup, Bridget and Producer Mike cover the tech news stories you might have missed.
Sheryl Sandberg&rsquo;s Lean In is fighting the gender gap in AI adoption, but raising questions about its own leadership. <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/91521751/sheryl-sandbergs-lean-in-is-fighting-the-gender-gap-in-ai-adoption">https://www.fastcompany.com/91521751/sheryl-sandbergs-lean-in-is-fighting-the-gender-gap-in-ai-adoption</a>
Gen Z Goes to the Movies! The new Zendaya film 'The Drama' is a smash hit. Younger Audiences Are Driving Box Office Sales, Study Shows
<a href="https://variety.com/2026/film/box-office/gen-z-driving-box-office-1236703551/">https://variety.com/2026/film/box-office/gen-z-driving-box-office-1236703551/</a>
The FBI was able to recover deleted Signal messages from a user's phone because they were stored in his notification history. Check your Signal settings now to stay safe "Settings &gt; Notification &gt; Store" <a href="https://www.404media.co/fbi-extracts-suspects-deleted-signal-messages-saved-in-iphone-notification-database-2/">https://www.404media.co/fbi-extracts-suspects-deleted-signal-messages-saved-in-iphone-notification-database-2/</a>
She Was in Labor at a Florida Hospital. Then She Was in Zoom Court for Refusing a C-Section. <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/florida-court-hearing-c-section">https://www.propublica.org/article/florida-court-hearing-c-section</a>
BBC breached editorial standards over BAFTAs racial slur but no big deal, BBC investigation finds.&nbsp; <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/bbc-breached-editorial-standards-over-baftas-racial-slur-investigation-finds-13529270">https://news.sky.com/story/bbc-breached-editorial-standards-over-baftas-racial-slur-investigation-finds-13529270</a>
Ohio creep becomes first to be convicted under new Take-It-Down law for sexually explicit images:
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/08/ohio-man-convicted-ai-sexually-explicit-images">https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/08/ohio-man-convicted-ai-sexually-explicit-images</a>
Instagram reportedly deletes Bellesa sex toy shop account for using the word 'clitoris': <a href="https://mashable.com/article/instagram-deletes-bellesa-shop-account-with-700000-followers">https://mashable.com/article/instagram-deletes-bellesa-shop-account-with-700000-followers</a> &lsquo;This Is Not Me&rsquo;: Inside the AI Scams Driving Musicians Crazy: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/ai-scams-musicians-streaming-services-spotify-1235535753/
Let us know what you think about these stories by emailing <a href="mailto:hello@tangoti.com">hello@tangoti.com</a> or leaving a comment on Spotify.
Pre-order Bridget's forthcoming audiobook about AI and intimate relationships at <a href="http://loveatfirstprompt.com">LoveAtFirstPrompt.com</a> !
Follow Bridget and TANGOTI on social media!&nbsp; ||&nbsp; instagram.com/bridgetmarieindc/ || tiktok.com/@bridgetmarieindc ||&nbsp; youtube.com/@ThereAreNoGirlsOnTheInternet || bsky.app/profile/tangoti.bsky.social

The Drama with Zendaya; BAFTAs Slur Fallout; Sheryl Sandberg Leans AI; Sex Pest Take-It-Down Conviction; Sex Toys Meta Ban; ANTIFA Terrorism Trial – NEWS ROUNDUP! 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/4775ae0d-6db6-45ae-b290-b429003cbbb0/transcript

What’s fueling the moral panic around TikTok challenges? In part, Facebook.

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