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Internet Culture

Taylor Swift sends cease and desist to college student using public information to track her private jet

Her lawyers say the tracking tips off the superstar's stalkers while creator Jack Sweeney argues it allows transparency.
Taylor Swift performs during "The Eras Tour".

In India, cervical cancer can be associated with 'promiscuity', making it hard for women to talk about. Did a publicity stunt change this?

Many online have lambasted Poonam Pandey for her fake death while attempting to raise awareness for cervical cancer. But some women say she shocked people enough to make them talk about the disease and even consider getting tested. 
Updated
A woman with long black hair sitting on a light blue couch

Sick of doomscrolling and being 'constantly on call', these Australians switched to a 'dumbphone'

With mobile phone use on the rise, some people are turning to simpler devices to help them cut down on their screen time.
Updated
A close up of a person's hands, one holding an iPhone and one holding a small flip phone.

Viral videos of Tesla drivers using Apple's Vision Pro prompt US government warning

The US transportation secretary warns drivers must pay attention at all times, even if their car has assisted driving capabilities.
A composite of two screenshots from social media videos showing Tesla drivers using Apple Vision Pro headsets while driving

Indian model fakes her death to bring awareness to cervical cancer campaign

The 32-year-old model conceded to the death hoax a day after the fake Instagram post, saying she was "proud of what my death was able to accomplish". 
Woman poses on couch next to lamp

Internet trolls may have latent psychopathic tendencies, researchers find

Psychologists say people with high psychopathic tendencies are able to explore their "true self" when they're not identifiable. 
A man types at a computer in a white room

Are songs from your favourite artists missing from TikTok? Here's why

Songs by Taylor Swift, Drake and other big-name artists are getting pulled from TikTok after a music licensing dispute came to a head. Here's a rundown of where things stand.
A composite of three pictures. One is a photo of Taylor Swift. The second one is Drake in a suit. The third is Bad Bunny.

Adelaide man takes exploring the world to the next level using Google Street View clues

For the next seven months, Oscar Pearce is hoping to spend about eight hours per day guessing where he is in the world, but from his computer.
Updated
A man smiles with short brown hair wears a green and gold jersey, he sits in front of computer with map open

Travellers and accommodation providers falling victim to major Booking.com scam

Australia's consumer rights watchdog sees a sharp increase in Australians citing the popular accommodation site when reporting they've been scammed.
Updated
Figurines of travellers walking with bags, in front of a large Booking.com logo in a photographer's illustration.

How articifical intelligence is fuelling deepfake images

Professor Jeannie Paterson says articifial intelligence has faciliated the recent boom of pornographic and offensive ‘deep-fake’ images of Taylor Swift.
ABC News Current
Duration: 4 minutes 27 seconds

Taylor Swift pornography deepfakes renew calls to stamp out insidious AI problem

As non-consensual and sexually explicit images of Swift began circulating widely on social media platforms, fans quickly mobilised the hashtag #ProtectTaylorSwift. How politicians respond could change the future of AI. 
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Composite image of X, Facebook and taylor Swift

George Carlin estate sues over fake comedy special purportedly generated by AI

The voiceover in the YouTube video says it listened to the comic's 50 years of material and "did my best to imitate his voice, cadence and attitude."
A screenshot of an AI generated image of a comedian on stage. 

More than $130,000 lost in scams as fake Taylor Swift tickets surge

More than four million people attempted to buy tickets for Taylor Swift's Australian concerts but experts warn resale tickets are causing a "cruel summer" for fans who fall victim to a scam surge. 
Updated
Taylor swift holding a guitar collaged with scam facebook and Instagram messages

Who is the Russian hacking syndicate linked to the Medibank hack?

Australian authorities have confirmed that Aleksandr Gennadievich Ermakov is a member of the Russian hacking syndicate REvil.
A computer screen showing a wanted poster for Yevgeniy Igreyevich Polyanin

It's 700km from Darwin but this country has the fourth-slowest internet in the world

Timor-Leste has the fourth-slowest internet in the world, sitting just in front of Afghanistan, Yemen and Syria — and its young population is fed up.
Updated
Two young people looking at their phones.

Thousands of people have been affected by a jump in credential stuffing attacks. Here's how to tell if you're affected

Credential stuffing has long been used as a form of cyber crime, but a recent rise in attacks has affected thousands of Australians. Here's what credential stuffing is, how it works, and how you can protect yourself.
Close up of a hand typing on a keyboard in a dark room

Oscar Pearce to represent Australia at GeoGuesser World Cup

Twenty-four players from 21 different countries competed at last year's competition, and Oscar Pearce wants to take home the chocolates this year.
ABC News Current
Duration: 5 minutes

Sarah Snook wins Emmy, pays tribute to baby daughter — and Elton John achieves EGOT status

Australian actress Sarah Snook thanks her baby daughter, saying "it was her who carried me" as she wins the best drama actress award at the Emmys.
Updated
Sarah Snook in a red dress with her arms out holding an Emmy.

Why posting on social media about crimes in your neighbourhood could backfire

Communities are going online to help catch alleged criminals at work in their neighbourhoods. But experts say "digital vigilantism" can land people in hot water.
Updated
CCTV footage superimposed with comments from Facebook

Typing in your details when shopping online might be a pain, but cybersecurity experts say it's a small price to pay

Some of The Iconic's customers have been caught out by the aftershocks of a "credential stuffing" attack, but a cybersecurity expert says common shortcuts have put shoppers at greater risk without them knowing.
A woman's hand holds two large white satchels with "The Iconic" written on the front in black.

A basic security failure from The Iconic has put millions of its customers at risk of being defrauded

Online retailer The Iconic has failed to provide basic security measures to verify its customers' payment details when placing an order, putting its 2.1 million customers at risk of being defrauded, cybersecurity experts say
Woman's hand holds a credit card in front of a computer

Online safety regulator accuses Elon Musk's X of adding fuel to a fire of online hate

The eSafety commissioner says the social media platform's hate-monitoring practices are "jaw-dropping" after it reinstated thousands of banned Australian accounts.
Elon Musk Twitter account is seen in this illustration.

The Iconic online retailer faces customer fury over fraudulent transactions

Online retailer The Iconic has vowed to refund customers who have been left out of pocket by thousands of dollars after their accounts were compromised and fraudulent orders were made without their permission.
a plastic bag with the words 'the iconic' on it

Jesse has run an online community forum for 12 years but threats and abuse have taken their toll

There are more than 22,000 people in the Riverland Forum that Jesse Norris launched 12 years ago on Facebook, but after moderating the busy page — while doing his best not to be affected by abuse — he's decided to step away.
A man has short brown hair and wears a colourful tshirt, he sits at a wooden table in a park and types at a black computer

Judge orders publisher of 'Feminism Debunked' YouTube channel to appear in court over Lehrmann hearing videos

The action comes after nine videos of the defamation hearing, which was live streamed, appeared on the channel.
A young man with dark hair, a beard, a suit and glasses walks on the street.