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Chris Stokel-Walker


Chris Stokel-Walker is a U.K.-based journalist and the author of TikTok Boom (2021) and YouTubers (2019).

influencer getting a kicked out of screen by a boot to represent social media bans

Social media bans may work, but for who?

A new study points to the efficacy of deplatforming creators. But some are raising red flags.

On Feb 28, 2024 by Chris Stokel-Walker

how to quit being a youtuber hannah witton

Here’s how to wind down your YouTube channel, from a creator who’s just done so

Sex education YouTuber Hannah Witton shared why and how she "stepped back" from her content creation career.

On Jan 9, 2024 by Chris Stokel-Walker

side by side of trump / desantis with a fact checking bird (twitter logo or twitter logo w/ magnifying glass) in between

Twitter’s Community Notes is the fiercest 2024 primary battleground

Context is now a conflict.

On Jun 13, 2023 by Chris Stokel-Walker

A man watches a laptop while sitting on the couch

The pandemic made Reddit twice as horny

NSFW subreddits outpaced the rest of the site.

On May 18, 2023 by Chris Stokel-Walker

Male fashion model in blue suit with Tweet by @flglmn at left 'why is twitter so determined to make me follow the menswear guy'

Twitter’s menswear advice-toting main character is really sorry you’re seeing his tweets

He doesn't know why he's being amplified either.

On Jan 26, 2023 by Chris Stokel-Walker

UK Treasury office with transgender flag emoji

Why the U.K. Treasury is being bombarded with trans flag emojis

It is the only way people can push back.

On Jan 23, 2023 by Chris Stokel-Walker

chatGPT logo and AI

Investors are selling off Google and Microsoft stock—and experts think it’s because of ChatGPT

Could ChatGPT be the beginning of the end of big tech dominance?

On Dec 12, 2022 by Chris Stokel-Walker

elon musk

Elon Musk fans boldly claim he’s eliminated child abuse material on Twitter—experts say otherwise

The claim originated from one user.

On Nov 28, 2022 by Chris Stokel-Walker

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User error is leaving hundreds of thousands of Android devices open to takeover

User error leaves hundreds of thousands of devices open to takeover, claims one white hat hacker

On Nov 14, 2022 by Chris Stokel-Walker

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Has your Gmail spam filter gone to sh*t recently? You aren’t alone

And Republicans may be to blame.

On Oct 20, 2022 by Chris Stokel-Walker

Paypal finance service logo on a smartphone, hand holding padlock

Why PayPal is at the center of a right-wing social media storm

Is PayPal preventing people from leaving?

On Oct 14, 2022 by Chris Stokel-Walker

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How ‘Bella Ciao’ became the viral anthem for the fight against authoritarians

The Italian protest song has a long and storied history—reinvigorated by TikTok and Twitter.

On Oct 6, 2022 by Chris Stokel-Walker

hand holding phone with PayPal logo on screen over green to blue horizontal gradient money background

When PayPal doesn’t pay: Businesses allege millions in funds held up for years

A number of businesses have been left flat broke, waiting for money.

On Sep 29, 2022 by Chris Stokel-Walker

paypal withholding millions in sales for flipper

A tech startup with a wildly successful GoFundMe is now at the mercy of PayPal, which is holding over $1.3 million in sales hostage

PayPal is making Flipper jump through hoops.

On Sep 12, 2022 by Chris Stokel-Walker

Marietje Schaake on dark green background (l) Meta logo on white background (r)

‘AI cannot be an excuse’: What happens when Meta’s chatbot brands a college professor a terrorist?

Chatbots can often be wrong. Is there any recourse?

On Aug 25, 2022 by Chris Stokel-Walker