Mark Zuckerberg’s favorite word is “public.” In Meta’s recent Q4 earnings call, he said, “On Facebook and Instagram, there are hundreds of billions of publicly shared images and tens of billions of public videos, which we estimate is greater than the Common Crawl dataset and people share large numbers of public text posts in comments across our services as well.”

Here’s what that means. Instead of using the Common Crawl dataset to train Meta’s AI like ChatGPT, it’s using your and my public data. And because it’s public (there’s that word again), they don’t have to get our permission or pay us for it. Nice.

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Social media account hacking is on fire … not in a good way. Account hijacking has grown by as much as 1,000% annually in the last few years, with celebrities and politicians so mad about it they’re starting to sue.

The chances of your Instagram, X, Facebook or other account (even Spotify!) getting taken over by spammy bots and data-stealing thieves have never been higher. So don’t sit there all smug thinking, “Oh Kim, that could never happen to little ol’ me!”

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Savvy internet surfers like us ignore those obnoxious “Claim Now” pop-up ads that promise free gift cards. We’re better than that. But there’s a new shopping app that I have been getting a slew of questions about whether it’s a good way to make some extra cash. So, I decided to check it out for you.

See you on the Flip side

It’s called Flip. Make an account and you can purchase products. Once you get whatever you bought, you can earn money for making a review in a TikTok-style video. Flip pays you when people buy products based on your reviews or if you refer someone to the app. You can use the credits to buy more stuff on Flip or transfer the cash to a bank account.

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There’s fake news, and there’s fake celebrity news. Guess which one is spread the most and does the most damage on social media? You’re so smart. Yup, it’s fake celebrity news.

ExpressVPN’s 2023 Misinformation Index includes a whole lineup of our famous friends who got caught up in a mess of misinformation. Let’s dig into some of the wildest, weirdest stories.

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New word for you: Grandfluencer. That’s grandparent + influencer for all the folks trading in retirement for social media fame. We’re talking millions of followers, thousands of comments … and a lot of money. One paid post can land a particularly big grandfluencer over $150K. 

Take 79-year-old Lynn Yamada Davis, for example. She rakes in a cozy six-figure salary from her Cooking With Lynja channels. Over 17 million people have watched her build a 10-foot hotdog and make popcorn with a hair straightener. Unusual? Yes. Entertaining? Definitely. 

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There’s a lot of weird stuff for sale on Facebook Marketplace. It’s not just old strollers, an elliptical that collected dust for three years and a gross old couch. We’re talking drugs and a lot more … adult things.

But if you can sift through the strange listings, low-ballers and flaky folks who never respond, there are a lot of deals to be had and money to be made if you’re the one selling.

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Rumors have been swirling for years that Facebook will start charging. Before, it was fiction. Now? Well, it’s looking more like fact.

You can thank the latest European Union (EU) privacy regulations — and I mean that. These new regulations do a lot to protect the sensitive data of consumers like you and me. 

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With the intense war unfolding in Israel and Gaza, I bet your social media feed is loaded with photos and videos that can be so very difficult to stomach. From heart-wrenching scenes of hostage situations, beheadings, murders, bombings and other grim realities of war, it’s everywhere.

We all want to know what’s going on, no doubt. Many of these social media posts fill the void of official updates and reveal the brutalities of conflict. But — and this is a big BUT — not everything you see online is the real deal. Some content might be doctored or taken out of context and violate those depicted’s privacy and human rights.

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The images, stories and videos of Israel and Gaza are horrifying, aren’t they? You know what that fuels — a slew of misleading info making the rounds on social media. 

Have you seen that viral video showing an Israeli airstrike? It was being shared left and right on social showing Israel’s retaliation against a sudden attack by Hamas from last Saturday. But here’s the catch: That footage is old news from May, confirmed by Reuters.

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If you’ve ever thought of building something as big as the Komando Media Empire, you must know that teamwork and collaboration are key. That’s why we’re all three days a week (at least) in the broadcast center. I would never implement what TikTok is doing with RTO (return to office) policies.

Newsflash from The New York Times: TikTok’s not just peeking at where you’re dancing anymore. Enter MyRTO, TikTok’s fresh-out-the-box tool that’s on overwatch and must be on every employee’s personal phone. 

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Facebook Marketplace is a treasure trove for second-hand electronics, furniture and collectibles. In the market for something a little … weirder? Scroll past the old bikes and baby clothes and you’ll be shocked at what’s hidden in plain sight.

Things that used to be sold only on the Dark Web and other shady corners of the internet are popping up on Facebook in droves. You can get your hands on everything from Ozempic and illegal drugs to used undies.

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When my mom passed away, I wrote a tribute to her online. So did my siblings, her friends and other family members. It was a way for us to honor Mom and grieve together.

That’s normal. What isn’t normal? When random YouTube creators publish videos about someone who died just for likes, follows and, in some cases, cash.

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Would you stop a random stranger in the supermarket and say to them, “Do you think I’m ugly? Come on, be honest. Just say it like it is.” 

On the wildly popular Reddit forum “Am I Ugly,” this is exactly what is happening more than ever. Comments, posts and votes were up a whopping 1,986% in July compared to last year. 

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Are you a Netflix fan, or do you prefer binge-watching YouTube videos late into the night? Tap or click here for the magic number that may dictate your preference.

If you have young kids or grandkids, you may have heard of MrBeast. He’s an internet sensation whose viral videos consist of stunts, comedy and massive acts of philanthropy. 

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Emojis are fun, but when you think you’ve seen them all, an update brings a bunch more. Here are all the best new emojis that came along with iOS 16.4.

Feeling a bit confused with all the new Gen Z slang? The words young people throw around don’t always make sense. But don’t worry! I’m here to help you get on fleek with the lingo. (This will make sense to you in a moment). 

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Before you read any more, make your guess: What’s the most-viewed video on YouTube? Hint: Once you hum the song, it’ll be stuck in your head all week. I apologize in advance.

The 20 vids with the most views (all time) fall into two categories: Kid content and music. Let’s see if your guess made the top 20.

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I don’t mean to frighten you, but there seems to be a disturbing trend when people sell on Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp or Craigslist. Sure, these platforms are a decent place to make cash, but scary stuff does happen. 

Earlier this year, a Florida man was robbed at gunpoint when he met with a buyer for his old iPhone. The suspect was armed and demanded that the guy hand over the device.

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I remember the first time I fired up TikTok to see what it was all about. In about 10 minutes, the darn app’s algorithms kicked into gear. On my feed, aside from people dancing all over the globe, were vids about vegetarian dishes, travel tips and golden retrievers. And you know what … it was pretty hard to put down, a total time suck. After three days, I removed it from my phone. 

About 150 million Americans hang out on TikTok for, on average, an hour and a half each day. It’s a big platform with significant money being made and spent. And you know what that means, scammers and lots of them.

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The internet is moving past “quiet quitting.” It’s when someone does the bare minimum at work, putting in only the effort required to get the job done.

Gallup’s latest worker poll found nearly six in 10 are quiet quitting. Less than a quarter of workers are truly engaged — 23% is a new record high. No surprise employee stress levels are also at record levels.

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A few years ago, a family member posted on Facebook that he had been diagnosed with a terminal illness. My mother replied with LOL. She thought that meant “lots of love,” not “laughing out loud.” She was so embarrassed.

OMG, here comes another text or post filled with abbreviations you have to pretend to know. You can try to LOL your way out of the convo.

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