Right now, there is a bill headed to President Trump’s desk that will protect Americans from deepfake and revenge pornography. This is an incredible win for Americans, and something I have been fighting for my entire career. 
Over decades in the cybersecurity field, I’ve helped solve a lot of crises for government agencies, major corporations and more. But there’s a certain kind of call that I still dread getting. It starts with a trembling voice on the other end of the line: “Can you help me?” As they tell their tale, my heart sinks. A lump forms in my throat. This is another life shattered by explicit images strewn across the digital public square, each notification on their phone another dagger into their sense of safety as the image spreads.
For years, my team and I have made a point to fight for these survivors. We make calls, write letters, beg social media giants to remove the content – real photos stolen from private moments or deepfakes conjured by AI’s dark alchemy. This crime is indiscriminate. It targets the socialites, the professionals, rising stars, the rich and the poor. One professional athlete, a courageous woman I helped, saw her stolen images resurface dozens of times over several years. She told me it made her want to stop leaving her house. Even Scarlett Johansson — a global icon with every possible resource at her fingertips — can’t banish her deepfakes for good. If she’s powerless, what chance do everyday victims have? They have to watch their trauma go viral, reliving it with every view. Some, in desperation, have taken their own lives.
There are different ways to refer to this phenomenon. Terms like “revenge porn” and “deepfake” are often used interchangeably. “Deepfake” describes a specific kind of AI-produced image that usually uses a reproduction of a real person’s face. I reject “revenge porn” because while it may sound edgy in headlines, it re-victimizes the victim. People take intimate images of themselves for all kinds of reasons, from self-confidence to sharing with someone they trust. That may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it doesn’t make it okay to share those peoples’ images without their consent in ways for which they weren’t intended. That’s why I refer to these pictures or videos as non-consensual intimate images, or NCII.
It wasn’t that long ago that pornography hid behind brown wrappers and clerks who checked IDs before you bought it. Now, anyone can steal an image, fabricate a lie, and blast it worldwide at lightning speed. The Cyber Civil Rights Initiative estimates over 15 million Americans – that’s 1 out of every 23 of us – have faced NCII sharing, a number that continues to balloon as AI fuels the carnage. Deepfakes — 98% pornographic, 99% targeting women — number in the hundreds of thousands, with just 16 sites known for hosting them racking up 200 million visits in a six-month period last year.
Social media companies can do better. It’s the right thing to do, and they have the technology to do it. If their algorithm can figure out my favorite shoe color and relentlessly sell them to me, they should be able to address this plague across their platforms. They are making some efforts. Meta removed 1.2 million NCII items in 2024’s first half, but gaps persist. And it’s not entirely the fault of the platforms themselves. 

A tangle of laws and regulations used to combat NCII sharing makes the process slower and more difficult. A 2024 study found that X (formerly Twitter) left 25 reported deepfakes up for weeks, while removing copyright violations in hours – a stark sign that today’s laws prioritize property over people. YouTube and TikTok axe millions of videos over copyright claims, yet billions of views on deepfake sites reveal a glaring chasm. Victims currently have to navigate a maze of rules, pleading to faceless systems with no human to hear their pain and no guarantees the images will come down.
That’s why their haunting words echo in my mind: “Can you help me?” Yes, I can. But my team can’t chase resurgent ghosts across the internet forever.
Thankfully, Washington has woken up to the crisis. The &#8216;Take It Down Act&#8221; makes publishing non-consensual intimate imagery — real or AI-crafted — a federal crime and requires platforms to remove it within 48 hours of a victim’s plea. The bill’s sponsors are Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. Amy Klobuchar – both outspoken, prominent members of their parties who have run for president in recent years. They have very little in common politically – although they are both parents of daughters. But they worked together to secure an astounding unanimous vote to pass the bill in the Senate. And this week, thankfully, it received an overwhelming victory in the House and is now headed to President Trump’s desk.
Critics, many from the libertarian tech crowd, claim the &#8220;Take It Down Act&#8221; stifles free speech, but protecting victims from abuse isn’t censorship — it’s justice. It helps the rule of law catch up with the pace of technology. It’s not about politics, it’s about people. By one estimate, over 4 million American children have been scarred by AI porn fakes of themselves or peers. The NCII porn pirates don’t care who you vote for – they will strike your family, your friends, your coworkers. The sensible updates to our laws included in the &#8220;Take It Down Act&#8221; will help us protect ourselves and each other. This is a victory worth celebrating.
* * *
Theresa Payton is the CEO of Fortalice Solutions. She was the first female White House chief information officer, serving under President George W. Bush.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Daily Wire.

Senators Cruz And Lummis Hold Press Conference To Discuss Deepfakes

‘Can You Help Me?’ Why The ‘Take It Down Act’ Is A Lifeline For Victims

'Can You Help Me?' Why The 'Take It Down Act' Is A Lifeline For Victims

Artificial Intelligence

Congress

Deepfake

Melania Trump

Pornography

President Trump

Scarlett Johansson

Social Media

Technology

White House

Women

President Donald Trump joked on Tuesday that his first choice to replace the late Pope Francis was &#8230; himself, a crack that was destined to inspire meltdowns from those who hate him the most.
Trump took a few questions from the press outside the White House as he marked the 100th day of his second term in office, and the topic turned to the imminent conclave during which the Catholic Church&#8217;s next leader will be chosen.
&#8220;Who do you want to see as the next Pope?&#8221; a reporter asked.
&#8220;As Pope?&#8221; Trump repeated before quipping, &#8220;I&#8217;d like to be Pope. That would be my number one choice.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &#8220;I&#8217;d like to be pope.&#8221; 🤣
&#8220;We have a cardinal that happens to be out of a place called New York who&#8217;s very good, so we&#8217;ll see what happens.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/WPdRPwHxP9">pic.twitter.com/WPdRPwHxP9</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1917289085938590136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The reporters continued to talk, but were drowned out by the sound of Marine One in the background.
&#8220;No, I don&#8217;t know, I have no preference,&#8221; the president continued. &#8220;I must say we have a cardinal that happens to be out of a place called New York who&#8217;s very good, so we&#8217;ll see what happens.&#8221;
Trump was likely referring to Cardinal Timothy Dolan, one of ten American cardinals who will participate in the conclave and vote on the next pontiff. Critics say that Dolan is a long shot for the church&#8217;s highest office himself, largely based on the perception that he is too American.
Some took Trump&#8217;s remark as a joke and responded in kind.
&#8220;Make Rome Great Again,&#8221; one said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Make Rome Great Again
— Jess Fields (@jessalanfields) <a href="https://twitter.com/jessalanfields/status/1917289220755833208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;The Vatican has a chance to do the funniest thing,&#8221; another posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The Vatican has a chance to do the funniest thing <a href="https://t.co/hf271V1EOL">https://t.co/hf271V1EOL</a>
— The Dank Knight 🦇 (@capeandcowell) <a href="https://twitter.com/capeandcowell/status/1917307476719833388?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;You&#8217;re not gonna convince me Trump saying &#8216;I’d like to be pope&#8217; isn’t funny,&#8221; said one.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Youre not gonna convince me Trump saying “I’d like to be pope” isn’t funny. 
<a href="https://t.co/6eh0qqi05u">pic.twitter.com/6eh0qqi05u</a>
— Timothy HJ Nerozzi (@TimothyNerozzi) <a href="https://twitter.com/TimothyNerozzi/status/1917310456328241166?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
One posted before he even made the comment, &#8220;I feel like Donald Trump wearing this white hat is to remind us that the danger of him becoming pope is slim…*but it’s never zero.*&#8221;
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I feel like Donald Trump wearing this white hat is to remind us that the danger of him becoming pope is slim…*but it’s never zero.* <a href="https://t.co/D7RbEsT1V0">pic.twitter.com/D7RbEsT1V0</a>
— Emily Zanotti 🦝 (@emzanotti) <a href="https://twitter.com/emzanotti/status/1916874695795769794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
But the critics were not amused.
&#8220;I think the prerequisite is &#8216;need to be able to go into a church without bursting into flames,'&#8221; one said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I think the prerequisite is &#8220;need to be able to go into a church without bursting into flames&#8221;
— TheGeekReborn (@thegeekreborn) <a href="https://twitter.com/thegeekreborn/status/1917294375803183233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Now he wants to be the next pope, God help us,&#8221; another added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Now he wants to be the next pope, God help us. <a href="https://t.co/1VChIzdagI">pic.twitter.com/1VChIzdagI</a>
— 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐊𝐎𝐌𝐒𝐀 | 🇪🇺🇫🇷🇵🇱🇺🇦 (@tweet4Anna_NAFO) <a href="https://twitter.com/tweet4Anna_NAFO/status/1917303304498848022?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Trump. Does. Not. Joke,&#8221; one claimed.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Trump. Does. Not. Joke.
— Janice Hough (@leftcoastbabe) <a href="https://twitter.com/leftcoastbabe/status/1917289577150308490?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Isn&#8217;t he already considered the pope of white evangelicals?&#8221; another asked.
&#8220;Isn’t he already considered the pope of white evangelicals?&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Isn’t he already considered the pope of white evangelicals?
— 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐢 (@ChidiNwatu) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChidiNwatu/status/1917289977949389247?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

President And Mrs Trump Depart White House For Rome

Cue The Pearl-Clutchers: Trump Just Said He’d ‘Like To Be Pope’

Cue The Pearl-Clutchers: Trump Just Said He'd 'Like To Be Pope'

Catholic Church

Politics

Pope Francis

Religion

A video of an influencer couple celebrating their twins’ first birthday has reignited the conversation about the morality of surrogacy.
The clip in question shows Joseph and Nathan Hughes, two gay hair stylists who live in Texas, throwing a lavish birthday party for the children. The Hughes men are popular on social media for showcasing their family.
The couple’s friend Kortney, who works at their salon, donated eggs while Joseph’s sister Breeanna acted as a gestational carrier for the couple, per The Mirror.
Joseph and Nathan have been sharing extensively online about their experience, but the video of the birthday party has gone viral as viewers question the overall idea of surrogacy, plus observe how the twins don’t seem excited or happy at the party, noting how neither one smiles during the video.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW: TikTok influencers show off their surrogate children for the cameras during their 1-year-old birthday party.
Horrifying.
Joseph and Nathan Hughes had the children through Joseph&#8217;s sister, who was the &#8220;gestational carrier.&#8221;
Their friend &#8220;Kortney&#8221; was the one who donated… <a href="https://t.co/qPOU1SqRtR">pic.twitter.com/qPOU1SqRtR</a>
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) <a href="https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/1915526487379501546?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
“This should be illegal,” one reply <a href="https://x.com/gentrywgevers/status/1915526597886562695">said</a>.
Another chimed in, <a href="https://x.com/ThnKMyMmsGnCrzy/status/1915539163018920052">writing</a>, “Why do those babies look like they don&#8217;t even know these people?”
“The fact that they used friends and family as their donor and surrogate is less disturbing than paying some random woman to completely abandon the child they carried for nine months,” another person <a href="https://x.com/crystalandqueue/status/1915543238200479827">wrote</a>. “My biggest concern with both of these babies is their lack of eye contact and facial expressions in every video I’ve ever seen of them. They’re completely disconnected which makes me wonder what happens off camera.”
“As a mom, I am so upset by the children&#8217;s reactions and body language,” another <a href="https://x.com/Aphrohditee/status/1915912434621055363">echoed</a>. “You can tell they are not only uncomfortable, they are not happy. And they can buy them all the things in the world and dress them up cute, but any sane person who has had a child can see there is NO connection between those babies and the people holding them.”
Daily Wire podcast host Matt Walsh, who has spoken about moral concerns regarding surrogacy in the past, also <a href="https://x.com/mattwalshblog/status/1916589500739764357?s=43&amp;t=BDz6oekueqrSVJ50bM62xw">commented</a> on the clip.
“Somehow ‘social conservatives’ still get a bad rap, even on the Right. But we’ve been right about every issue and usually decades ahead,” he tweeted. “We’ve been saying for many years that gay adoption and surrogacy should be illegal. Now everyone else seems to be catching on. This is an abomination.”
“It is, in a sense, child trafficking. Selling a baby as a prop, a plaything is just wrong,” another wrote. “Let’s check in on these two and the kid in 10 years.”

birthday cake

Viral Clip Of Gay Couple’s Birthday Party For Twins Ignites Surrogacy Debate

Viral Clip Of Gay Couple's Birthday Party For Twins Ignites Surrogacy Debate

Children

LGBTQ

Social Issues

Surrogacy

U.S.

Facebook&#8217;s parent company Meta said that two posts that included &#8220;misgendering&#8221; were not a violation of its policies, in a case that appears to have involved content from The Daily Wire.
The social media giant&#8217;s Oversight Board ruled that two posts about trans-identifying males do not violate the company&#8217;s hate speech rules.
&#8220;Despite the intentionally provocative nature of the posts, which misgender identifiable trans people in ways many would find offensive, a majority of the Board found they related to matters of public concern and would not incite likely and imminent violence or discrimination,&#8221; the Oversight Board <a href="https://www.oversightboard.com/news/wide-ranging-decisions-protect-speech-and-address-harms/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement on the <a href="https://www.oversightboard.com/decision/bun-1ynnk264/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decision</a>.
Back in September, Meta&#8217;s Oversight Board <a href="https://www.oversightboard.com/news/new-cases-to-consider-debate-around-gender-identity/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> it was looking into two posts from last year that involve videos of trans-identifying males.
One of the posts <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/04/23/meta-oversight-board-trans-content-moderation-hate-speech/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appears</a> to be a video <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C7Mk01jo1P8/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> by Libs of TikTok on Instagram that shows an Oregon high school boy getting booed by the crowd when he finished first place in the girls’ 200-meter race.
&#8220;He&#8217;s a boy who thinks he&#8217;s a girl,&#8221; Libs of TikTok <a href="https://www.oversightboard.com/decision/bun-1ynnk264/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">captioned</a> the post.
Around the same time, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C7PjzzrOEkE/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> the same video on Instagram, using male pronouns for the trans-identifying high schooler.
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The other post was a video posted to Facebook showing a girl confronting a trans-identifying male in the women&#8217;s bathroom and expressing her discomfort. That video was likely <a href="https://www.iwf.org/2024/09/05/meta-considering-monumental-policy-change-to-ban-speech-promoting-womens-sports-and-spaces/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taken</a> by Payton McNabb, a female high school athlete who was seriously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/injured-high-school-volleyball-player-reacts-to-congresswoman-saying-trans-identifying-males-dont-hurt-anyone" target="_blank" rel="noopener">injured</a> in 2022 when a trans-identifying volleyball player spiked a ball at her head.
Both posts were reported for &#8220;Hate Speech and Bullying and Harassment&#8221; multiple times, but Meta left both posts up, deciding that neither violated Meta&#8217;s Community Standards. Users who reported the posts then appealed to the Oversight Board.
However, on Wednesday, the board ruled in favor of Meta&#8217;s original decision to leave both posts up. Rulings by the Oversight Board on specific posts are considered binding for the company.
&#8220;The Hate Speech policy does not include misgendering as a form of prohibited &#8216;attack,'&#8221; the Oversight Board noted when it announced it was looking into the videos.
The move is the latest victory for conservative users as Meta says it is working to dial back censorship, including on gender identity.
Earlier this year, Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-pro-life-accounts-demand-meta-lift-suspensions-after-free-speech-promises" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> sweeping changes to his company’s content moderation policies, promising “more speech and fewer mistakes.”
“In recent years we’ve developed increasingly complex systems to manage content across our platforms, partly in response to societal and political pressure to moderate content. This approach has gone too far,” Meta said.
“We want to fix that and return to that fundamental commitment to free expression,” the company said.
The company also said it will be “getting rid of a number of restrictions on topics like immigration, gender identity and gender that are the subject of frequent political discourse and debate” and it will also recommend more political content if a user has indicated they are interested.
Meta has been fiercely criticized in recent years for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/meta-doubles-down-after-zuckerberg-reveals-how-facebook-censored-hunter-biden-laptop-story" target="_blank" rel="noopener">censoring</a> political content such as the Hunter Biden laptop story, which broke just before the 2020 election.

Social Media And Company Logos

After Review, Facebook Says ‘Misgendering’ Doesn’t Violate Its Hate Speech Policy

Meta Rules Transgender Posts Do Not Violate Hate Speech Rules In Win For Conservatives, Daily Wire

Facebook

Gender

LGBT

Social Media Censorship

Transgender

New Jersey on Thursday became the first state to sue gaming platform Discord, alleging the company failed to protect children from online predators despite marketing itself as a &#8220;fun and safe space for teens.&#8221;
The civil suit, <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25900134-2025-0417-discord-complaint/">filed</a> by New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin, alleges that Discord violated the state&#8217;s Consumer Fraud Act by failing to protect minors, according to a report by NBC News.
Discord is a popular messaging platform used by millions to chat via text, voice, and video. It is especially popular among young gamers, who use the platform to converse while playing games like Roblox and Minecraft, both of which are heavily used by children.
The gaming chat platform officially <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/nj-attorney-general-sues-discord-messaging-app-child-predator-concerns-rcna201762">bans</a> users under 13 and claims a zero-tolerance policy toward those who exploit minors, per NBC News.
&#8220;They&#8217;ve waged a very extensive PR campaign to tell the public all the features that they put in place to protect kids on their app,&#8221; Platkin said. &#8220;They know that they&#8217;re not working, and they know that they&#8217;re not actually protecting kids the way they say they are.&#8221;
Discord defended its safety measures, saying the company is &#8220;proud&#8221; of its &#8220;continuous efforts and investments in features and tools that help make Discord safer.&#8221;
A spokesperson added that the platform disputes the claims in the lawsuit and looks &#8220;forward to defending the action in court.&#8221;
According to Platkin, children under 13 can create accounts by simply checking a box claiming they are older.
The platform&#8217;s &#8220;Sensitive Media&#8221; filter, designed to blur explicit material, often doesn&#8217;t work and is &#8220;very easy to evade.&#8221;
A 2023 NBC News investigation <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/discord-child-safety-social-platform-challenges-rcna89769">uncovered</a> 35 cases where adults were prosecuted for kidnapping, grooming, or sexual assault allegedly involving Discord communications, plus more than 100 additional cases of child sexual abuse material.
Following heavy public scrutiny, Discord made several policy updates, including banning teen dating and artificial intelligence-generated child sexual abuse material on the service.
The company&#8217;s CEO, Jason Citron, called reports of exploitation on the platform &#8220;horrifying&#8221; at the time.
In January, Citron was among several tech executives called to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee about child safety policies alongside leaders from Meta, Snapchat, TikTok, and X.
The New Jersey lawsuit is seeking civil penalties, restitution for affected users, and court-mandated changes to Discord&#8217;s policies and features to better protect minors on the platform.

Twitter Alternatives Photo Illustrations

New Jersey Sues Online Platform Discord Over Child Predator Concerns

Child Abuse

Courts

New Jersey

Imagine your teenage son goes upstairs to do homework — and just hours later, you discover he has taken his own life. For <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2025/02/25/teenage-boys-mental-health-suicide-sextortion-scams/78258882007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">too many families</a>, this nightmare is a grim reality, the result of a rapidly growing and devastating crime known as sextortion. 
Sextortion is a powerful form of exploitation where predators trick and coerce victims, often young boys, into sending explicit images online. The exploiters often pose as teen girls and reach out with flirtatious messages. This is no haphazard operation, research has found that thousands of Instagram accounts perpetrating sextortion were linked to <a href="https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/meta-takes-down-63k-instagram-accounts-5700-facebook-groups-1300-facebook-accounts-linked-1725744" target="_blank" rel="noopener">only 20-25 individuals</a> — in other words, this is often an organized criminal activity, something no teenager is prepared to go up against. They are trained and skilled at building trust quickly, shifting the conversation to sexual topics and eventually sending pictures or videos and requesting some in return.
In mere minutes, the blackmail begins. Predators threaten to expose the victim’s nude photos to their contacts or social media connections unless they pay a demanded sum — fueling fear, shame, and deterring them from seeking help. To heighten the pressure, some blackmailers may falsely accuse teens of criminal activity, warning that they could end up on sex offender registries.
For some, the shame and fear of being exposed are so overwhelming that they see no way out, leading to tragic actions like suicide within mere hours of being targeted.
Sextortion has been connected to dozens of deaths of teen boys by suicide in <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/sacramento/news/sextortion-a-growing-threat-preying-upon-our-nations-teens#:~:text=The%20sextortion%20involved%20at%20least,the%20activity%20to%20law%20enforcement." target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent</a> years. Tragically, these numbers are likely underreported as family members may not know the circumstance that led to a loved one’s death by suicide.
There are an average of 812 reports of sextortion <a href="https://www.thorn.org/research/library/financial-sextortion/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per week</a>, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
This crisis demands immediate attention and action.
For too long, online platforms have failed to prioritize safety. Take Snapchat, for example. New Mexico’s attorney general recently brought a lawsuit against Snapchat. According to a report from <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/new-mexico-attorney-general-says-internal-snap-documents-show-company-rcna173486" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC News</a>, documents from the lawsuit reveal “‘Snap employees were discussing 10,000 user reports of sextortion each month,’ which is most likely ‘a small fraction of this abuse.’”
“In addition, the suit alleges internal documents show that reports of grooming and sextortion made about specific users largely went unanswered or unaddressed,” according to NBC NEWS.
Meta’s Instagram appears to be the <a href="https://info.thorn.org/hubfs/Research/Thorn_TrendsInFinancialSextortion_June2024.pdf?sm_guid=NzcxOTIyfDc4MzA5NjAxfC0xfGNlc2VAbmNvc2UuY29tfDcyMDIwMTJ8fDB8MHwyMjU0MzA0NTd8MTEzMnwwfDB8fDc2NjM5Nnww0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#1 platform for sextortion</a>. One key reason is the availability of follower lists, which predators can leverage against victims. While the platform has <a href="https://about.fb.com/news/2024/04/new-tools-to-help-protect-against-sextortion-and-intimate-image-abuse/">taken steps</a> to identify and protect kids from sextortion, there’s still more they can do to prioritize the safety of minors.
According to <a href="https://www.thorn.org/research/library/financial-sextortion/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a report</a> from Thorn titled “Trends in Financial Sextortion,” online payments are another avenue for exploitation. “The most common payment methods were Cash App and gift cards, followed by other easy-use payment apps such as PayPal and Venmo. The dominance of gift cards and Cash App has slightly increased over time relative to other payment services.”
With Cash App ranking as the <a href="https://info.thorn.org/hubfs/Research/Thorn_TrendsInFinancialSextortion_June2024.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#1 payment method</a> for financial sextortion, there is valid concern over many of their default features like public profiles and limited identity verification. These vulnerabilities could expose younger users to predatory behavior.
It is time to require a higher standard of care from online platforms.
One vital step to combat sextortion and image-based sexual abuse (IBSA) is the “Take It Down Act,” a bipartisan bill sponsored by Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). This legislation has already gained significant momentum, passing unanimously in the Senate. Now, it is time for the House to act and make this bill law.
The “Take It Down Act” is a bold step toward creating meaningful protections for sextortion victims and victims of nonconsensually-shared explicit content. It addresses the crisis in two key ways, first, by mandating quick removal of harmful content, and then by criminalizing image-based abuse. Under the &#8220;Take It Down Act,&#8221; social media platforms and websites would be legally required to remove explicit images within 48 hours of a survivor’s request. These platforms must also make efforts to prevent the images&#8217; reappearance, reducing the cycle of trauma for victims. This bill also makes it a federal crime to publish explicit images of a person without their consent, including AI-generated or “deepfake” content. This brings critical accountability to perpetrators who weaponize private imagery.
By passing this legislation, Congress can empower victims to regain control while ensuring that perpetrators face appropriate consequences for their actions.
For young boys targeted by sextortion, the bill’s immediate removal mandate could mean the difference between life and death, offering assurance that exposure is not inevitable and their situation is not hopeless.
If you are a parent or guardian, use this article as a reason to talk with your kids now about this threat online — before they ever find themselves in a dangerous situation. It’s natural to react with fear or anger if a child makes an unsafe choice, but we never know what difference maintaining an open dialogue can make.
Sextortion is a profoundly isolating crime — but no victim or family needs to face it alone. If explicit images have already been shared, resources are available. &#8220;Take It Down,&#8221; a free service from the National Center for Missing &amp; Exploited Children, helps remove nude, partially nude, or sexually explicit images taken before the age of 18. Visit <a href="https://takeitdown.ncmec.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">takeitdown.ncmec.org</a> for more information. The Cyber Civil Rights Initiative also offers critical support and resources for those affected. 
Congress can and must pass the “Take it Down Act,” helping to give every child the safety they deserve and ensuring no life is stolen by this devastating fraud.
* * *
Haley McNamara is the Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Programs at the <a href="http://www.endsexualexploitation.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Center on Sexual Exploitation</a>, the leading national non-partisan organization exposing the links between all forms of sexual exploitation such as child sexual abuse, prostitution, sex trafficking and the public health harms of pornography. On X: @NCOSE
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
* * *
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dozens-of-teen-boys-take-their-own-lives-as-online-sextortion-cases-spike?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=Original&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Dozens+Of+Teen+Boys+Take+Their+Own+Lives+As+Online+Sextortion+Cases+Spike" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RELATED: Dozens Of Teen Boys Take Their Own Lives As Online Sextortion Cases Spike</a></h3>

Close up of hands of teen boy in white sweater texting on phone.

Sextortion Is A Rising Crisis Linked To Teen Suicide, Action Cannot Wait

Sextortion Is a Rising Crisis Linked to Teen Suicide, Action Cannot Wait

Crime

Instagram

Nigeria

Nudity

Sex Crimes

sexual content

Snapchat

Suicide

Teenagers

Three years ago, 17-year-old Gavin Guffey was playing video games with his friends on a summer night, when he got a message from who he thought was a pretty girl on Instagram. Not even two hours later, Gavin took his own life. 
Gavin is one of dozens of teen boys who was tragically victimized in a sexual extortion scheme targeting minors – <a href="https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2025/PSA250306">a growing trend</a> the FBI is warning parents about. 
Sexual extortion, also known as sextortion, occurs when an offender coerces or tricks a minor into sending them sexually explicit images or video footage, and then threatens to release that material unless the minor produces additional explicit content. Or, in the case of financially-motivated sextortion, the offender will demand payment instead of more sexual content. 
Brandon Guffey, a Republican lawmaker in South Carolina and Gavin’s father, spoke to The Daily Wire about his son’s case and how he’s working to protect other minors and hold predators and social media companies accountable.
“We as parents can lock our doors to protect our kids, but now so much of their life is online, and we don&#8217;t realize the people who are contacting our kids on the other side,” Guffey said. 
Reports of sextortion cases of minors are rising each year. The FBI saw a <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/sacramento/news/sextortion-a-growing-threat-preying-upon-our-nations-teens#:~:text=The%20sextortion%20involved%20at%20least,the%20activity%20to%20law%20enforcement">20% increase</a> in reports of financially motivated sextortion in just one six-month period in 2023. From October 2021 to March 2023, the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations received more than 13,000 reports of such online activity targeting minors. There were about 12,600 victims, mostly boys, and at least 20 suicides. 
A more recent number, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2025/02/25/teenage-boys-mental-health-suicide-sextortion-scams/78258882007/">according to a USA Today report</a>, found that sextortion cases have been tied to at least 30 suicides of teen boys since 2021. And that number is likely a low estimate, since some families might not even be aware their child was a victim of sextortion, due to the online nature of the crime. 
Additionally, the <a href="https://www.missingkids.org/cybertiplinedata">CyberTipline</a>, which is run by the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), received nearly 190,000 reports of Online Enticement of Children for Sexual Acts, which includes sextortion. That number has quadrupled since 2021, when the Tipline received around 44,000 reports.
Tammy Lee is the CEO of <a href="https://ourrescue.org/?gad_source=1&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwtdi_BhACEiwA97y8BIwhSnKn23zbRPE-oMdzCOuM0zlMpDHlCAycrVcJKjTzToQZ-p7UUhoC2VMQAvD_BwE">Our Rescue</a>, a nonprofit focused on ending child exploitation that partners with law enforcement in all 50 states. She told The Daily Wire that online threats need to be taken seriously by parents. 
“We really believe that every parent has to take this to be one of the most serious threats against their children of our time, because predators are everywhere,” she said.
Talks about “stranger danger” with children must evolve to include discussions about online safety, Lee noted. 
“We used to teach our kids to watch out for strangers, or people in white vans,” Lee said. “Now, we have to worry about who is coming into our child&#8217;s bedroom through their gaming console, or through their iPhone, or their iPad, because these predators lurk online looking for kids that they can extort.” 
<a href="https://info.thorn.org/hubfs/Research/Thorn_TrendsInFinancialSextortion_June2024.pdf?sm_guid=NzcxOTIyfDc4MzA5NjAxfC0xfGNlc2VAbmNvc2UuY29tfDcyMDIwMTJ8fDB8MHwyMjU0MzA0NTd8MTEzMnwwfDB8fDc2NjM5Nnww0">Instagram and Snapchat</a>, according to NCMEC, are the two most-used apps for these crimes. Messages can disappear on both apps, which might lead to victims putting their guard down before sending over explicit images used against them.  
In financially-motivated sextortion cases, young males are most often targeted. In fact, one report found that <a href="https://www.parents.com/more-teen-boys-being-threatened-with-sextortion-8623766?utm_source=chatgpt.com">90%</a> of all financially-motivated sexual extortion victims were males between the ages of 14 and 17. 
<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2025/02/25/teenage-boys-mental-health-suicide-sextortion-scams/78258882007/">According to parents of numerous victims</a>, minors will be messaged by an account they think is being operated by a female of similar age, who might tell them they have mutual friends. The conversation then turns sexual, the victim sends over explicit material, and soon after, the blackmail begins. 
A <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/sacramento/news/sextortion-a-growing-threat-preying-upon-our-nations-teens#:~:text=The%20sextortion%20involved%20at%20least,the%20activity%20to%20law%20enforcement">memo</a> from the FBI’s Sacramento Field Office says that financially-motivated sextortion offenders are often foreigners, primarily from West African countries like Nigeria and Ivory Coast, or Southeast Asian countries like the Philippines. Lee told The Daily Wire that the nonprofit, which often works with law enforcement, is seeing the same pattern. 
“Our officers that we partner with in digital forensics are definitely seeing a spike in these crimes originating from some of the African countries,” Lee said. “They&#8217;ll post and pretend to be a teenage girl or a teenage boy asking for explicit images. Once those images are exchanged, then the predator from one of these African nations will go in and threaten them.” 
After losing his son in 2022, Guffey was sworn in as a state representative in South Carolina and became a fierce advocate in the fight against sextortion. Just a year after his son’s death, Guffey got “<a href="https://governor.sc.gov/news/2023-08/governor-henry-mcmaster-signs-gavins-law">Gavin’s Law</a>” signed into law. 
“My son Gavin was contacted by a predator through Instagram messaging,” Guffey told The Daily Wire. “He jumped off the video game with friends to have a chat with this female, or so he thought. They began to share images, and within 1 hour and 40 minutes, Gavin took his life.”
“I&#8217;d never heard of what sextortion was, or had a clue of what it was,” Guffey said. 
After his son passed, Guffey said he and his family were contacted by the scammers for more money, and he was even taunted about Gavin committing suicide. 
“They began to extort Gavin&#8217;s 16-year-old brother, a 14-year-old cousin, and then, trying to extort me as well, fully aware that Gavin had taken his life,” he said. “They sent a message to me and said, ‘Did I tell you your son begged for his life?’” 
<div id="attachment_905659" style="width: 968px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-905659" class="wp-image-905659 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2195735962-958x576.jpg" alt="State Rep. Brandon Guffey of Rock Hill stands outside the federal courthouse in Columbia on Monday with a photo of his son, Gavin Guffey." width="958" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2195735962-958x576.jpg 958w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2195735962-300x180.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2195735962-768x462.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2195735962.jpg 1006w" sizes="(max-width: 958px) 100vw, 958px" />State Rep. Brandon Guffey of Rock Hill stands outside the federal courthouse in Columbia on Monday with a photo of his son, Gavin Guffey // The State via Getty Images </div>
In January, the Nigerian scammer who blackmailed Guffey’s son was extradited to the United States and is facing life in prison. 
Hassanbunhussein Abolore Lawal has been <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sc/pr/nigerian-man-extradited-us-after-being-indicted-sextortion-scheme-caused-death-sc-teen">charged</a> with child exploitation resulting in death, the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material, coercion and enticement of a minor, cyberstalking resulting in death, interstate threats with intent to extort, and aiding/abetting, according to the Department of Justice. Additionally, Lawal is accused of targeting the victim’s family in the stalking and extortion charges.
“Often with these extortion schemes, you have money launderers within the United States that are transferring funds in order to get them overseas, and then typically overseas, in Gavin&#8217;s case, they come out of Logos, Nigeria,” Guffey explained. “There is a well-known group called the Yahoo Boys that are doing a lot of these extortion schemes.”
The “Yahoo Boys” will “‘bomb’ high schools, youth sports teams and universities with fake accounts, using advanced social engineering tactics to coerce their victims into a compromising situation,” <a href="https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/nigerian-yahoo-boys-social-media/">according</a> to Infosecurity Magazine. 
The group gets its name from the web service provider Yahoo, and the criminals are tied to past “Nigerian Prince” scams before shifting to elderly fraud, fake job scams, and sextortion, the magazine reports. 
There’s also been a rise in sextortion acts from a group called 764. Members here in the United States and abroad are forcing minors and other vulnerable people to commit disturbing sex-related crimes or self-harm. In these cases, predators are motivated by sexual gratification. 
Ashley Johnson, special agent in charge of the FBI’s St. Louis Field Office, <a href="https://fox2now.com/news/missouri/stl-fbi-warns-764-network-using-blackmail-to-exploit-minors-draft/">discussed</a> 764’s activities on FOX 2, earlier this month.
“People have been asked to engage in cruelty to animals, self mutilation of some sort,” she said. “Some cases we’ve had individuals ask children — if they knew they had a sibling — to film themselves sexually abusing their sibling.” 
Moreover, artificial intelligence is widening the net of sextortion victims, Lee told The Daily Wire. 
“More and more of these sex predators are going online and they&#8217;re becoming more sophisticated in the ways that they go after young people, minors who they&#8217;re trying to exploit,” she said. “What&#8217;s brand new that we&#8217;re seeing now is AI — AI is becoming a very emerging threat for sextortion where these predators can take an image of a fully clothed child and turn it into child sexual abuse material.” 
Addressing teens who might find themselves swept up in a sexual extortion scam, Guffey urged young people to be brave and report such crimes. 
“I tell them, number one, don&#8217;t send images to someone that you&#8217;ve never met before. I mean, you don&#8217;t want sending images, period,” he said. “But if you do, make sure that your face and your privates are not identifiable in the same picture as well. And if that does happen, don&#8217;t be scared. Be brave enough to go to your parents, to go to law enforcement to report this.”
“If you feel like you can just pay them and this’ll go away, they&#8217;re going to continue to go after not only you — ‘cause it will never stop once you pay them money, they&#8217;re going to continue to go after other teens and make them feel the same way that you feel right now,” Guffey continued. “So, it&#8217;s very important for us to report it so we can go after these criminals.”
In his son’s case, the scammers were asking for “a couple hundred” dollars, Guffey recalled.
“I think it was $25 [Gavin sent] over to them. But, of course, that&#8217;s never enough. The key to this is to ensure that you never send a penny.” 
As for parents of potential victims, Guffey is preaching grace and understanding. 
“I would say for parents, number one, I think often we as parents get very angry whenever our child makes a mistake, and we need to learn grace again,” he told The Daily Wire. “We can say, ‘don&#8217;t send pictures, don&#8217;t share pictures,’ but, nowadays you don&#8217;t even have to; it can be AI. And this is your reputation, and it&#8217;s getting spread throughout your entire community — it&#8217;s not one school where you get this name.”
“You need to be there to fight for your kid and make sure you have the conversation that regardless of what the situation is, make sure that they know that you will be there for them,” he continued. “I felt like I had that conversation and that connection with Gavin, however, this was just so much shame that he didn&#8217;t feel that he could come to me.”
Guffey is working with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R.) on the bipartisan <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cruz-introduces-bill-protecting-victims-from-deepfake-revenge-porn">Take it Down Act</a>. The bill would require social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook to remove any content that features explicit images or videos of minors, known as &#8220;child sexual abuse material,” or CSAM, or “revenge porn,” within 48 hours of the content being flagged. 
On Tuesday, the Take it Down Act <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/2025/03/readout-from-first-lady-melania-trumps-roundtable-discussion-on-online-protection-and-the-take-it-down-act/">passed</a> the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and has been championed by First Lady Melania Trump. 
&#8220;This marks a significant step in our bipartisan efforts to safeguard our children from online threats,&#8221; Mrs. Trump said in a statement. &#8220;I urge Congress to swiftly pass this important legislation. Together, we can create a safer, brighter future for all Americans!”
Lee also encouraged parents to speak to their children about this issue. “The average parent only spends 46 minutes in a child&#8217;s lifetime talking about how to stay safe online,” she told The Daily Wire. 
“This can be a very difficult topic for parents to want to talk about with their kids, but it is the next great safety factor that they have to bring up with their kids in order to keep them safe,” she added. 
Since that conversation can be a challenge for some parents, on its website, Our Rescue offers a guide called <a href="https://ourrescue.org/files/OurRescue_Start_Talking_2025.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Let&#8217;s Start Talking</a>. The nonprofit also spends time in schools across the country with its law enforcement partners to encourage online safety, Lee said. 
Outside of educating parents and children, Guffey wants social media companies to have protections stripped from them over their lack of action concerning CSAM material. 
“I think the number one thing that we have to do is to remove Section 230, or revisit Section 230, which was written in 1996,” he told The Daily Wire. “It gives these companies — who are the richest companies since the inception of man — it absolves them from being sued. So we can sue them, but things get thrown out before discovery because they just say, ‘We&#8217;re not responsible for anything online because this is a public forum.’”
Guffrey is currently suing Meta, the parent company of Instagram, over his son’s death. “I filed a suit directly on my own, not demanding money, but demanding change.” 
Addressing parents and children, Guffrey had a simple closing message: “Tomorrow needs you.” 
“Tomorrow needs adults to stand up and fight to protect our children,” he said. “But tomorrow certainly needs the next generation. If we don&#8217;t have the next generation, then what are we fighting for?” 
If you or someone you know thinks they’re a victim of sextortion, please call law enforcement. You can report it to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or visiting <a href="https://tips.fbi.gov/">tips.fbi.gov</a>.

Big Tech and the Online Child Sexual Exploitation Crisis

Dozens Of Teen Boys Take Their Own Lives As Online Sextortion Cases Spike

Dozens Of Teen Boys Have Taken Their Own Lives As Online Sextortion Cases Continue To Spike

Africa

The European Union is considering levying a $1 billion fine against Elon Musk&#8217;s X, alleging that the social media company has violated its law against disinformation and illicit content, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/03/technology/eu-penalties-x-elon-musk.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Along with the hefty fine, the E.U. would also demand that X make changes to its product, according to the Times, which cited &#8220;four people with knowledge of the plans.&#8221; If the E.U. moves forward, it would be the first fine imposed by the body using its Digital Services Act (DSA). The <a href="https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/europe-fit-digital-age/digital-services-act_en#:~:text=Digital%20Services%20Act%20(DSA)%20overview,and%20open%20online%20platform%20environment." target="_blank" rel="noopener">DSA</a> &#8220;regulates online intermediaries and platforms &#8230; to prevent illegal and harmful activities online and the spread of disinformation.&#8221;
The social media company formerly known as Twitter, which Musk said he took over to restore free speech, <a href="https://x.com/GlobalAffairs/status/1907963263419297893" target="_blank" rel="noopener">responded</a> to the potential enforcement of the E.U.&#8217;s social media law, saying the move would be &#8220;an unprecedented act of political censorship and an attack on free speech.&#8221;
&#8220;X has gone above and beyond to comply with the EU’s Digital Services Act, and we will use every option at our disposal to defend our business, keep our users safe, and protect freedom of speech in Europe,&#8221; the company added.
X CEO Linda Yaccarino <a href="https://x.com/lindayaX/status/1907980612947841444" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a>, &#8220;This would be an egregious example of regulatory overreach. X continues to fight the attempts to stifle free speech taking place around the world, whether on our platform or off. We’re committed to protect this fundamental right for our users.&#8221;
Last July, the E.U. <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_24_3761" target="_blank" rel="noopener">concluded</a> that X violated the DSA &#8220;in areas linked to dark patterns, advertising transparency and data access for researchers.&#8221; In its report, the E.U. claimed that X verifies accounts and hands out &#8220;Blue checkmarks&#8221; in a way that &#8220;deceives users.&#8221;
&#8220;Since anyone can subscribe to obtain such a &#8216;verified&#8217; status, it negatively affects users&#8217; ability to make free and informed decisions about the authenticity of the accounts and the content they interact with,&#8221; the E.U. said.
The E.U. also accused X of failing to provide adequate transparency in advertising and failing to hand over its public data to researchers &#8220;in line with the conditions set out in the DSA.&#8221;
E.U. regulators reportedly hit the brakes on the investigation into X to discuss potential ramifications for going after a company controlled by one of President Donald Trump&#8217;s closest advisers and top donor. The E.U. has also been in the crosshairs of the Trump administration as Vice President JD Vance called out the bloc during a speech in February, slamming the E.U. for its digital censorship.
The Times reported that Musk&#8217;s social media company could still settle the dispute with the E.U., but that would likely require X to make changes to satisfy the governing body. If X chooses to fight the fine, it&#8217;s unclear how the legal process would play out between the American social media company and the E.U. The bloc is also going after U.S. tech companies Meta and Apple for allegedly violating the DSA.

Elon Musk

E.U. Reportedly Considering Massive Fine For Elon Musk’s X Over ‘Disinformation’

Big Tech

Europe

European Union

Twitter

World

Americans are more depressed than ever. An online-obsessed world has trapped us in lonely, soul-draining bubbles — stripping away real relationships and community. And, in many cases, the more online we’ve become in our jobs and our personal lives, the harder it’s been for us to maintain a healthy lifestyle. 
Depression in the United States hit an all-time high, according to a Gallup <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/505745/depression-rates-reach-new-highs.aspx#:~:text=Clinical%20depression%20had%20been%20slowly,an%20estimated%2044%20million%20people.">survey</a> published in 2023. A big reason for the recent spike was the COVID-19 pandemic, which Gallup wrote brought mandated isolation and quarantine along with major changes to jobs, churches, and families. 
Depression is no joke, and it can be overwhelming to figure out how to tackle it. But researchers are discovering that a way to decrease depression is to increase protein intake. According to a <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00207/full">study</a> by The Catholic University of Korea and the California Institute of Technology published in 2020, “When the proportion of calories intake by protein increased by 10%, the prevalence of depression was significantly reduced …” 
“Subsequent analysis showed that the low protein intake groups had significantly higher risk for depression than the normal protein intake groups in both the United States and South Korea,” the study’s authors added. 
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Depression

From Isolation To Strength: Protein Could Be The Key To Fighting America’s Depression Crisis

Internet

study

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer&#8217;s latest promised effort to combat violent crime has so far only resulted in him taking a virtual beating on social media.
Starmer announced via X that he was going to make good on his promise to ban ninja swords, and critics were far from impressed.
&#8220;Knife crime is at epidemic levels and is ruining lives across Britain. As Prime Minister, I&#8217;ll crack down on sales of these lethal weapons once and for all. When I announce a ban, you’ll get a ban,&#8221; Starmer posted in late January of 2024, along with an article from The Sun stating that ninja swords would be included in such a ban.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Knife crime is at epidemic levels and is ruining lives across Britain. 
As Prime Minister, I&#39;ll crack down on sales of these lethal weapons once and for all. 
When I announce a ban, you’ll get a ban.<a href="https://t.co/ducB1yikwu">https://t.co/ducB1yikwu</a>
&mdash; Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) <a href="https://twitter.com/Keir_Starmer/status/1750065542180880877?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Confirmed: Ninja swords will be banned by this summer. When we promise action we take it,&#8221; Starmer posted on Thursday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Confirmed: Ninja swords will be banned by this summer.
When we promise action we take it. <a href="https://t.co/gjJEQIMI10">https://t.co/gjJEQIMI10</a>
&mdash; Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) <a href="https://twitter.com/Keir_Starmer/status/1905238067843150186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The Daily Wire&#8217;s Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro shared a &#8220;Kill Bill&#8221; clip showing actress Uma Thurman wielding such a blade, adding the comment, &#8220;If you tried this s*** in America.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
If you tried this s*** in America <a href="https://t.co/ShVDveDFyp">https://t.co/ShVDveDFyp</a> <a href="https://t.co/bmSbi9hc9F">pic.twitter.com/bmSbi9hc9F</a>
&mdash; Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) <a href="https://twitter.com/benshapiro/status/1905277413451313339?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;At last, Britain&#8217;s nagging Ninja problem has been solved,&#8221; David Burge posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
At last, Britain&#39;s nagging Ninja problem has been solved <a href="https://t.co/6HDJC0o0mO">https://t.co/6HDJC0o0mO</a>
&mdash; David Burge (@iowahawkblog) <a href="https://twitter.com/iowahawkblog/status/1905274072079974470?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Pictured: a young King Arthur moments before being imprisoned for life for possession of a bladed weapon,&#8221; another said, sharing a frame from Disney&#8217;s animated version of &#8220;The Sword in the Stone.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Pictured: a young King Arthur moments before being imprisoned for life for possession of a bladed weapon <a href="https://t.co/V2i3H20UTC">https://t.co/V2i3H20UTC</a> <a href="https://t.co/9D2JPszwSD">pic.twitter.com/9D2JPszwSD</a>
&mdash; Magills (@magills_) <a href="https://twitter.com/magills_/status/1905266045595586714?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Great news everyone! They’re tackling the ninja epidemic,&#8221; another said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Great news everyone! They’re tackling the ninja epidemic. <a href="https://t.co/HV83iM8BBx">https://t.co/HV83iM8BBx</a> <a href="https://t.co/WYf4AzzorT">pic.twitter.com/WYf4AzzorT</a>
&mdash; Gill, womb haulier and gorgon 🇮🇱🐍 (@Gillian_Philip) <a href="https://twitter.com/Gillian_Philip/status/1905300728869990911?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;This is beyond stupid. Will you ban cricket bats, sharp sticks and sharpened hunks of metal? You need to lock up the criminals and allow the decent folks to arm themselves against such attackers,&#8221; Chris Loesch said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This is beyond stupid. Will you ban cricket bats, sharp sticks and sharpened hunks of metal? You need to lock up the criminals and allow the decent folks to arm themselves against such attackers. <a href="https://t.co/GxDOzOY7C8">https://t.co/GxDOzOY7C8</a>
&mdash; Chris Loesch 𝕏 (@ChrisLoesch) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisLoesch/status/1905267626546176198?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;
Musician Zuby went straight to the heart of the matter, saying, &#8220;Maybe one day, they will address fatherless homes, masculinity crisis, loss of faith, soft on crime policies, unchecked mass immigration, abandoned communities, and other pertinent stuff. But until then &#8230;&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This is the UK version of the way the USA skirts around the gun violence issue.
Always targeting the individual TOOLS instead of having a serious conversation about the state of society, and why there are so many lost, violent young men.
Those conversations could offend people.
&mdash; ZUBY: (@ZubyMusic) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZubyMusic/status/1905269262500982905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;This is the UK version of the way the USA skirts around the gun violence issue. Always targeting the individual TOOLS instead of having a serious conversation about the state of society, and why there are so many lost, violent young men. Those conversations could offend people,&#8221; he added.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer Gives Speech On Plan To Cut NHS Waiting Times

Britain’s Prime Minister Promises To Axe Ninja Swords, And X Is Having A Field Day

Britain's Prime Minister Promises To Axe Ninja Swords, And X Is Having A Field Day

General

Great Britain

Keir Starmer

Violent Crime

Disney reportedly hired a social media expert to vet “Snow White” leading actress, Rachel Zegler, after the actress insulted Trump voters following the 2024 election.
Variety <a href="https://variety.com/2025/film/news/snow-white-death-threats-zegler-social-media-guru-1236347433/">reported</a> that the movie’s producer, Marc Platt, made the move following social media posts Zegler shared, including one that said “F*** Donald Trump” and another saying she hoped Trump supporters would “never know peace.”
The 23-year-old star later apologized for the remarks. Per the Variety report, she also agreed to work with the social media expert.
This was after Zegler posted on X in August 2024 to thank fans for helping the trailer get to 120 million views. She added a <a href="https://x.com/rachelzegler/status/1823146134769893534">follow up</a> which said, “and always remember, free palestine.”  
That follow up tweet earned 8.8 million views, which was four times more than the original post. It also added to the drama surrounding the film — which was in large part due to Zegler making controversial statements.
The outlet noted that Zegler’s Israeli co-star Gal Gadot, who plays the Evil Queen in the movie, started receiving death threats after the post went up. Variety’s source says Gadot was issued added security the studio had to pay for. 
“She didn’t understand the repercussions of her actions as far as what that meant for the film, for Gal, for anyone,” their source told the outlet.
This wasn’t the first time Zegler caused issues for Disney. The remarks about Trump voters and her “free Palestine” statement came after the actress caused a frenzy for disparaging comments she made about the original 1937 animated movie upon which the live action version is based.
During a 2022 expo, Zegler <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disneys-snow-white-star-slammed-as-she-continues-bashing-original-film-in-another-resurfaced-video">called</a> Prince Charming a “stalker.”
“I mean, you know, the original cartoon came out in 1937 and very evidently so. There’s a big focus on her love story with a guy who literally stalks her. Weird! Weird. So we didn’t do that this time,” she said at the time.
“We have a different approach to, what I’m sure a lot of people will assume is a love story, just because we cast a guy in the movie, Andrew Burnap, great dude,” she added. “It’s one of those things that I think everyone’s going to have their assumptions about what it’s going to be, but it’s really not about the love story at all, which is really, really wonderful.”
At another point, Zegler said, “[Snow White is] not going to be saved by the prince and she’s not going to be dreaming about true love,” Zegler said in the clip. “She’s dreaming about becoming the leader she knows she can be and the leader that her late father told her that she could be if she was fearless, fair, brave and true.”
For this and other reasons, “Snow White” has been underperforming box office expectations and hasn’t come anywhere near recouping its massive $270 million production budget. It had one of the worst opening weekends for a Disney remake in history, bringing in just $43 million total.

Rachel Zegler

Disney Hired ‘Social Media Guru’ For Rachel Zegler After Anti-Trump Posts: Report

Disney Hired 'Social Media Guru' For Rachel Zegler After Anti-Trump Posts: Report

Disney

Entertainment

Movies

Snow White

On Monday, Jeffrey Goldberg, the execrable editor of The Atlantic, dropped a bombshell story. Goldberg is basically a stand-in for Barack Obama&#8217;s foreign policy team.
He broke the <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/03/trump-administration-accidentally-texted-me-its-war-plans/682151/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">story</a> that he was accidentally included in a Signal chat that was basically comprised of every top member of Team Trump in the national security sphere, ranging from the Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, to National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, to Vice President of the United States JD Vance, to Stephen Miller, a top adviser to President Trump.
They were all in a Signal chat discussing the upcoming military strike on the Houthis. Waltz accidentally included Goldberg in this Signal chat.
What exactly happened here? The answer is almost certainly that Waltz meant to include the U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
Signal is an encrypted messaging service that is basically supposed to be uncrackable by outside sources. When using Signal — as I myself do — you can choose how your name appears in its identity line. You can either pick your full name or your initials.
My assumption is that Jamieson Greer opted to use his initials, “JG,” and that whoever put together the group selected Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic instead.
This does not mean, as so many folks who do not like Mike Waltz surmise, that he was regularly chatting with Goldberg. It just means that Goldberg was in a list of contacts that included Greer, both of them used their initials “JG,” and he selected the wrong one.
Obviously, the biggest issue is the leak itself. How did this happen?
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/bss-ep-2165-member-exclusive">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h3>
President Trump was asked about this yesterday, and said, “I don&#8217;t know anything about it. I&#8217;m not a big fan of The Atlantic. To me, it&#8217;s a magazine that&#8217;s going out of business. I think it&#8217;s not much of a magazine, but I know nothing about it.” When told the chat was discussing the attack on the Houthis, Trump <a href="https://x.com/yashar/status/1904250234236289151">replied</a>, “The Houthis? You mean the attack on the Houthis? Well, it couldn&#8217;t have been very effective because the [U.S.] attack was very effective. I can tell you that.”
When Hegseth was asked about this, he <a href="https://x.com/DODResponse/status/1904311661629964334" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tore into</a> The Atlantic as well: “So you&#8217;re talking about a deceitful and highly discredited so-called journalist who&#8217;s made a profession of peddling hoaxes time and time again, to include the, I don&#8217;t know, the hoaxes of ‘Russia, Russia, Russia’ or the ‘fine people on both sides’ hoax or ‘it&#8217;s suckers and losers’ hoax. This is a guy who peddles in garbage.”
I&#8217;m on board. I think The Atlantic, particularly Goldberg, is not a good representative of the journalistic institution. He was basically a stenographer for Barack Obama. But it was confirmed that the Signal chat involved all these players, and the story was real.
That raises a couple of questions. One is legal. There are people who are attempting to claim that this was somehow violative of criminal law, that this was a breach of Official Records Acts because an auto-delete function can be activated in Signal chats.
The use of terms in The Atlantic piece such as “high side” suggests that there was an entire other thread that was going on inside these sort of classified government rooms. That was preserved. So, there&#8217;s that.
Second, the president of the United States has the ability to simply declassify whatever he wants. So the idea that this is some violation of law is overstated. Is it a scandal? Sure, it&#8217;s a scandal when there&#8217;s a screwup this big. If you accidentally include a journalist in a high-ranking discussion about the precise location of a bombing, that is a major problem, of course. It is a breach of security.
But I am not willing to hear such claims from people on the Democratic side of the aisle who were perfectly fine with the Hillary Clinton email issue. This is one of the lines that the Left is hammering: “You guys, you fussed all about Hillary Clinton and her emails and keeping those on her own private server.”
First, we should recognize that what Hillary Clinton did and what happened here (inviting a journalist into a group chat) are both quite bad. Obviously, that involves high-ranking discussions of national security matters that are classified. That is a giant booboo.
As much as I despise Goldberg as a human being, I think he actually did the responsible thing in not printing, for example, operational details or blowing the operation beforehand, which he certainly could have done.
With that said, the reason that everyone is so casual about the use of classified material these days is because of the original sin of James Comey not prosecuting Hillary Clinton over her emails. That set up an entire permission structure for people to mishandle classified materials — unless you’re a Republican.
That is the way this works. If Hillary Clinton uses classified materials, and she puts them on a private server — which Comey of the FBI openly acknowledged was likely accessed by foreign sources — and no prosecution attends, how can that rule apply to anybody else?
This is why it was so ridiculous when they tried to go after Trump for the mishandling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago at the same exact time that Joe Biden had classified documents in his garage.
This issue is largely played out, in the sense that while something can be a giant screwup, nobody takes it as a criminal-level screwup at this point. That was laid to rest in 2015 and 2016 by the operation to let Clinton off the hook back for her email scandal.
When the Left says, “We&#8217;ve now heard the end about her emails,” the reality is, “But her emails,” was the inciting event for an entire string of mishandling of classified materials on both sides of the aisle.
Some Democrats say this could have cost lives. As it stands, that is hypothetical and did not happen in reality. A giant screwup is not quite the same thing as an intentional move to endanger human life on the American side of the aisle.
It&#8217;s also worth noting that many of the same people who are very upset with this particular situation would have been perfectly happy if the war plan had been leaked by a Trump administration insider and printed on the front page of The New York Times — which happened all the time in the first Trump administration.
What is interesting is the mobilization on one side of the Republican aisle against Waltz in particular, because there are really two issues that are of note with regard to this leak.
One is the leak itself, which obviously is deeply noteworthy. And the administration should make sure nothing like this ever happens again.
But then, there is the second issue, which is what was actually said in the leak. I have noticed that the partisans of Vance are saying that the real story is the leak, while partisans of Waltz are saying that the real story is what was said in the chat.
The answer is both. Both of these things are actual real stories, and neither should be obscured.
People who are fans of the vice president are shifting the focus away from what Vance actually said in the chat, which is another fascinating aspect to this.
This is a window into the open foreign policy debates happening inside the Trump administration. Trump says we are going to reopen freedom of trade and freedom of the seas. We&#8217;re going to strike the Houthis; we&#8217;re not going to be cowards as the Biden administration was.
A consequential discussion ensues in the chat: part of the administration says we need to go punch the Houthis in the mouth, but Vance says we should not punch the Houthis in the mouth and then puts forward a pretty milquetoast delay tactic. Vance posited an open disagreement with President Trump: “I&#8217;m not sure the president is aware how inconsistent this is with his message on Europe right now.”
It isn’t. Striking the Houthis is not inconsistent with his messaging on Europe.
By the way, the argument that only 3% of U.S. trade runs through the Suez but 40% of European trade does and thus it doesn&#8217;t matter for the United States if trade moves through the Suez Canal is incredibly silly because trade is intertwined. If the price of goods drastically goes up in Europe, then the price of goods in the United States will go up as well — because we trade with Europe.
Vance’s remarks bespeak an entirely different geopolitical strategy than what the Trump administration as a whole has been promoting. When looking past the leak issue to the actual content, Waltz, Hegseth, and Miller reflect the priorities of the president of the United States.
But Vance? Not so much. When he says, “This is really about cramming it down on the Europeans, so why don&#8217;t the Europeans do it,” he knows full well that the Europeans are not capable of taking on the Houthis. He also understands how global trade works.
This really suggests that the vice president has a very different view of foreign policy from Trump’s, a view that he expressed pretty clearly before he was vice president when he said he didn&#8217;t care whether Russia took Ukraine. That is certainly a view that bespeaks of foreign policy and spheres of influence — essentially, that Russia should have its own sphere of influence in Eastern Europe, stretching all the way down into the Middle East, and that the United States should basically remove itself from the world, which may or may not mean a broader sphere of influence for the Chinese.
Vance has a very different foreign policy than the Trump foreign policy. That&#8217;s just reality.
When he makes statements that openly conflict with the President of the United States’ statements, that is another side to this story.
There are two dueling narratives, and it will be interesting to see how it shakes down inside the administration.

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