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Tatum Hunter

@tatumhunter.bsky.social
6.5K followers 253 following 133 posts

Internet culture reporter at The Washington Post. DMs and Signal are open: 513.368.3359

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Reposted by Tatum Hunter
DuckDuckGo @duckduckgo.com · 22/05/2026
Google just announced they are redesigning search around AI. Here's how to get actual search results again.
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Reposted by Tatum Hunter
DuckDuckGo @duckduckgo.com · 14/05/2026
2019: "I believe the future is private." — Mark Zuckerberg 2026: Meta can now use your Instagram DMs to train AI. @tatumhunter.bsky.social
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
Not that it'll stop me! -- you can keep following my internet culture coverage here on my new Substack. Please feel free to share. bytatumhunter.substack.com
bytatumhunter.substack.com
Tatum Hunter | Substack
My internet coverage to your inbox. Click to read Tatum Hunter, a Substack publication. Launched an hour ago.
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
Lost my job at the Washington Post today, along with many of the best in the business. I want to keep covering tech and the internet. If you have leads on jobs for me or my colleagues, please reach out. I’m so proud of our work.
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
yep!
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
X says Grok account will stop undressing women. I just tested the standalone Grok app, which immediately complied with my request to undress a photo of me. This is illegal, according to the legal experts I spoke with.
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
As we speak, non-consensual deepfakes are making the jump from shadowy forums and small nudify apps to mainstream social media. This has huge implications for women and children, who are almost always the targets. Here's what's happening: 🧵
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Drew Harwell @drewharwell.com · 07/01/2026
. @maryannefranks.bsky.social to @tatumhunter.bsky.social: “All law, in order to be effective, has actually got to mean something to the person who is potentially going to violate it, right? They have to be scared that they’re going to be punished in some way" www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
washingtonpost.com
X users tell Grok to undress women and girls in photos. It’s saying yes.
The site is filling with AI-generated nonconsensual sexualized images of women and children. Owner Elon Musk responded with laughing emojis.
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
The industry has spent years fighting to contain non-consensual deepfakes. X just threw open the floodgates, seemingly with impunity?
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Reposted by Tatum Hunter
Will Oremus @willoremus.com · 16/12/2025
wrote about the rise and further rise of candace owens, whose unapologetically unhinged right-wing conspiracy theories have made her one of the most popular political voices in america — and are now causing headaches for the MAGA movement that backed her wapo.st/3MKjPwg w/ @tatumhunter.bsky.social
wapo.st
She was MAGA’s favorite conspiracist. Then she dug into Charlie Kirk’s killing.
The right-wing firebrand rose to prominence as a pro-Trump conspiracy theorist. Her latest claims have infuriated some of her former allies.
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
Candace Owens has said that Bill Gates uses laced mosquitoes to make people allergic to beef, that the earth may not be round and that the moon landing was “fake and gay.” Her MAGA fellows draw the line, however, at her comments on Charlie Kirk and Israel. wapo.st/3MKjPwg
wapo.st
She was MAGA’s favorite conspiracist. Then she dug into Charlie Kirk’s killing.
The right-wing firebrand rose to prominence as a pro-Trump conspiracy theorist. Her latest claims have infuriated some of her former allies.
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
Exclusive: TikTok's mental health "rabbit hole" is real. We used user data to show that the algorithm bends toward this content -- watching one mental health video spawns more similar videos than watching one about sports or Taylor Swift. And it takes more work to get it back out of your feed. 🧵/1
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
Today is day 1 of Australia's social media ban for kids under 16. Here's how that's going. www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
washingtonpost.com
This country banned social media for young teens. Most don’t plan to comply.
Pulling the plug on the biggest social media apps has broad support in parliament and the public at large. Most kids say they plan by whatever means to skirt it.
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
Are you an Australian with tweenage kids? I'm a journalist who'd like to chat about your upcoming week, for reasons you've already guessed 🙃 DMs open, or tatum.hunter@washpost.com
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 02/12/2025
this year, mainstream corporate marketing took up the ragebait playbook, and you helped 😃 w @nitasha.bsky.social
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 13/11/2025
NEW: With SNAP benefits paused, one TikToker started calling churches and asking if they'd help with a can of baby formula. Most said no. Then their responses went viral. from me and @michelleboorstein.bsky.social wapo.st/4oJywOk
wapo.st
This pastor fell for a TikTok stunt and sparked a debate on Christian charity
An influencer’s test of churches went viral, rewarding the generous and shaming the stingy.
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Michelle Boorstein @michelleboorstein.bsky.social · 13/11/2025
This pastor fell for a TikTok stunt and sparked a debate on Christian charity. Fascinating reporting with me and @tatumhunter.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
washingtonpost.com
This pastor fell for a TikTok stunt and sparked a debate on Christian charity
An influencer’s test of churches went viral, rewarding the generous and shaming the stingy
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 05/11/2025
NEW from me: Mamdani clinched a win in New York City. So why do ring-wing internet figures seem so...gleeful? wapo.st/4qLb5FQ
wapo.st
MAGA is trying to turn Zohran Mamdani’s win into their gain
New York City’s new mayor enjoyed a meteoric rise to online notoriety. The internet’s talking heads are just getting started.
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 15/10/2025
good news!! instagram is fixing teen safety. here’s a short history of all the other times they’ve fixed teen safety one day before or after landing in hot water with regulators.
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Reposted by Tatum Hunter
Drew Harwell @drewharwell.com · 11/10/2025
Fake AI videos mocking dead celebrities are going viral. We talked to their families, and they're horrified. We break down OpenAI's Sora 2 and the moral and legal problems of "synthetic resurrection." Gift link: wapo.st/4nNKzd3 w/ @tatumhunter.bsky.social
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 15/10/2025
Ope! I reported in August about the quiet rise of vertical "micro-dramas": TV series in 60-second episodes designed to game your attention. Now the screen actors guild is officially recognizing this exploding industry with a new contract. 👀 www.sagaftra.org/turning-indu...
sagaftra.org
Turning the Industry on Its Side: SAG-AFTRA Goes Vertical With New Agreement
New Verticals Agreement Caters to Serialized Micro-Dramas in Mobile Formats
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
Yesterday we heard from dozens of parents and other people upset by the prevalence of the Charlie Kirk clip on social media. We found that social media apps amplified the video broadly -- often an autoplay to unsuspecting viewers. From me and @willoremus.com. Here's a gift link: wapo.st/4n6oBSi
wapo.st
‘My kid has seen this. Now what?’: Parents reel as Charlie Kirk video goes viral
Gory social videos of Charlie Kirk’s shooting have inundated children, leaving parents feeling powerless and disturbed.
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Reposted by Tatum Hunter
Will Oremus @willoremus.com · 12/09/2025
Visceral closeup videos of Charlie Kirk getting shot in the neck were everywhere on social media. A lot of parents were not pleased that mainstream social apps’ algorithms showed it to their kids. Story today by @tatumhunter.bsky.social & me (gift link): wapo.st/4n6oBSi
wapo.st
‘My kid has seen this. Now what?’: Parents reel as Charlie Kirk video goes viral
Gory social videos of Charlie Kirk’s shooting have inundated children, leaving parents feeling powerless and disturbed.
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Reposted by Tatum Hunter
Rachael Myrow @rachaelmyrow.bsky.social · 07/08/2025
“A user isn’t joining any of these platforms expecting to have their privacy and physical security at risk, just by being in an online space, especially one that presents itself as secure.” www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2... via @tatumhunter.bsky.social
washingtonpost.com
When apps leak our data, who is responsible?
The Tea and Flo apps put women at risk. Where are the consequences?
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 22/08/2025
motion for a moratorium on the word "performative" you people can't be trusted
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 25/07/2025
NEW: The most-downloaded app in America this week lets women rate their dates, complete with green and red flags alongside the guy’s name and photo. Some men say it’s an abuse of technology and a violation of their privacy. wapo.st/415AZc2
wapo.st
The Tea app lets women review their dates. Men are worried.
The Tea Dating Advice app rose to the top of the charts for exposing abusive behavior, but some say it raises privacy concerns.
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 19/07/2025
Gone are the days when you could have an affair or yell at a flight attendant or bully your neighbors in peace. In the internet age the cameras are always rolling, and people’s worst moments draw millions of eyeballs as online audiences flock to weigh in. wapo.st/44DNhL6
wapo.st
Analysis | An awkward Coldplay kiss cam went viral. Cue the morality police.
In the internet age, cameras are always rolling. It’s leading to a new era of interpersonal surveillance, which Astronomer CEO Andy Byron is the new focus of.
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Fenit Nirappil @fenitn.bsky.social · 18/07/2025
PBS Kids is at risk while YouTube videos engineered for maximum child engagement thrive. @tatumhunter.bsky.social examined the future of kids entertainment after Republicans slashed PBS funding www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
washingtonpost.com
With PBS funding cut, will the next generation be raised by ‘Skibidi Toilet’?
Cuts to PBS funding could change kids’ media forever, as families opt for short-form video and online series optimized for attention.
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Reposted by Tatum Hunter
nitasha tiku @nitasha.bsky.social · 18/07/2025
Generation Slop. new from @tatumhunter.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
washingtonpost.com
With PBS funding cut, will the next generation be raised by ‘Skibidi Toilet’?
Cuts to PBS funding could change kids’ media forever, as families opt for short-form video and online series optimized for attention.
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 17/07/2025
Looking to talk to parents who frequently turn to PBS kids' TV programming, for a story! DMs are open or tatum.hunter@washpost.com
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
By the numbers: Mamdani's engagement rate on Instagram was 14 times that of Cuomo during June. Across social media during the same period, conversations about him outnumbered mentions of Cuomo more than 30-to-1, Sprout Social told us.
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
NEW: We all know Mamdani’s social campaign was killer. Top political and media strategists say it’s because he departed from Democrats’ standard playbook, engaging directly with opponents and hammering concrete policy points. wapo.st/4laXIeE
wapo.st
How Zohran Mamdani used social media to build a movement
The Democratic New York mayoral primary winner departed from the standard Democratic playbook to engage directly with opponents and spotlight leftist policies.
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Reposted by Tatum Hunter
Drew Harwell @drewharwell.com · 19/06/2025
Bluesky welcoming @jd-vance-1.bsky.social
JD Vance
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 12/06/2025
You don’t hate the Sabrina Carpenter album cover because it “sets feminism back” (??) you hate it because it’s too on-the-nose to feel artistic. It’s a defanged, un-fun version of the material/community it’s referencing, a la Nicole Kidman’s “Babygirl.” Hope this helps!
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 12/06/2025
A battle has been raging between generative AI companies and copyright holders. Two giant contenders — Disney and Universal — just stepped into the ring, suing the AI startup Midjourney to protect their intellectual property. The outcome could change the future of entertainment. wapo.st/4jPsVCO
wapo.st
How Disney’s AI lawsuit could shift the future of entertainment
Disney and Universal are the first major Hollywood studios to file copyright infringement lawsuits against AI companies, marking a pivotal moment in the ongoing fight by artists, newspapers and conten...
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
All eyes on Newsom today. Here we see another conflict with profound real-world stakes playing out through online beefs optimized for engagement.
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
Local news is saying more than 80 arrests by the end of last night in NYC. One father reached out to me saying his son was arrested but he can’t get through to central booking.
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
NEW: Locked in an online showdown with Trump, California Gov. Gavin Newsom is styling himself as an internet-era champion of the left. wapo.st/3SI33xL
wapo.st
‘Come and get me’: Gavin Newsom has entered the meme war
Locked in an online showdown with Trump over the L.A. protests, Newsom is styling himself as an internet-era champion of the left.
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
From the ground in NYC: More than a dozen protesters appear to be under arrest after clashing with police at Federal Plaza in Manhattan
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 10/06/2025
As the Trump administration posts through its mass deportation push, viral images from protests and raids are amping up outrage on both sides. W @drewharwell.com and @naominix.bsky.social
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Drew Harwell @drewharwell.com · 10/06/2025
New: A week before the ICE raid on day workers outside a Home Depot ignited the L.A. protests, the White House posted video from a similar bust, calling it an "EPIC Takedown." Commenters called it "disturbing": this "isn't a reality show." But the messaging war had just begun 🧵 wapo.st/4l2fK2A
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Will Oremus @willoremus.com · 07/06/2025
We wrote about the girls fighting and the tremendous content www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2... w/ @tatumhunter.bsky.social
washingtonpost.com
How the Musk-Trump feud became an online battle like no other
Elon Musk and Donald Trump are embroiled in a public feud on X and Truth Social. Online creators large and small want a piece of the action.
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 07/06/2025
NEW: In the extremely online battle between Musk and Trump, the attention economy is the real winner. From me and @willoremus.com wapo.st/4kZfDou
wapo.st
How the Musk-Trump feud became an online battle like no other
Elon Musk and Donald Trump are embroiled in a public feud on X and Truth Social. Online creators large and small want a piece of the action.
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 31/05/2025
i’ll feel proud for dodging a fast-fashion purchase and then buy 64 plastic bic lighters in a week
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 30/05/2025
NEW: People are asking ChatGPT for a ruthless assessment of their looks. It's more honest than friends and family, they claim. The best analogy I can find is thinking you're looking into a mirror when you're actually staring into a screen. (1) www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
washingtonpost.com
Am I hot or not? People are asking ChatGPT for the harsh truth.
An online trend has people asking ChatGPT how they could be more attractive. The bot is not pulling punches.
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Will Oremus @willoremus.com · 08/05/2025
Alright let’s go to the phones. Bob from Chicago, you’re live here on pope talk radio. What’s on your mind today Bob? Do women have what it takes to be deacons?
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 03/05/2025
The internet wants to know whether 100 men could successfully fight a gorilla. It’s not about the gorilla.
wapo.st
Men vs. gorilla vs. the rest of us: Why masculinity contests go viral
The premise sparked arguments, countless memes and even a simulation of the hypothetical battle. Mr. Beast joked on X: “Need 100 men to test this, any volunteers?”
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 23/04/2025
NEW: With tariffs on Chinese goods as high as 145%, shoppers are flooding to thrifting apps, data shows. Will this eco-friendly impulse last past the initial shock?
wapo.st
Thrifting apps see rush of traffic as tariffs hit
As tariffs on Chinese goods threaten to raise prices for clothes, shoes and furniture, Americans are turning to resellers such as Poshmark, Depop and eBay for bargains.
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Tatum Hunter @tatumhunter.bsky.social · 18/04/2025
people on this Q train acting like they’ve never seen a woman eat a tub of coleslaw with her bare hands before
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