Hello fellow citizens of the internet! Andrew here. Welcome to today’s edition of web_crawlr.
Happy Friday! Our top stories today are about: a debunk of a viral claim about Airheads, the FTC considering whether to recuse its chair from a Meta lawsuit, the British prime minister losing a meme battle to a head of lettuce, and the FBI warning of student debt relief scams.
After that, our Culture Editor Tiffany writes about all the salad dressing discourse in her weekly “This Week on the Internet” column.
Don’t forget to take our weekly news quiz! If you answer correctly, you might win a Daily Dot shirt!
See you tomorrow!
— A.W.
⚡ Today’s top stories
🍬 DEBUNK
Candy store owner claims Airheads are halting production til 2024 in viral clip—but company debunks rumors
Airheads are a staple candy for many Americans, but one viral TikToker claims they might not be available for the foreseeable future. However, the candy’s distributor has denied the online rumor.
💻 TECH
FTC considering whether to recuse Lina Khan from Meta-VR antitrust suit
The FTC is considering dismissing chairwoman Lina Khan from a merger lawsuit involving Meta, according to a court filing.
🥬 MEMES
British prime minister resigns, losing meme battle with head of lettuce
Iceberg for the win.
💸 SCAMS
Student loan debt relief program maybe the next target for scammers, FBI warns
The FBI issued a warning to applicants for student loan debt relief over fears that they soon could be targeted by scammers.
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🗣️ This Week on the Internet
The salad dressing that broke the internet
In each edition of web_crawlr we have exclusive original content every day. On Fridays our Senior Culture Editor Tiffany Kelly recaps the most pressing online discourse of the week in her “This Week On The Internet” column. If you want to read columns like this before everyone else, subscribe to web_crawlr to get your daily scoop of internet culture delivered straight to you inbox.
🕸️ Crawling the web
Here is what else is happening across the ‘net.
☕ In a viral video, a TikToker confronted a barista at Dutch Bros regarding one of her co-workers writing her phone number on her husband’s cup.
🚢 Believe it or not, people are still going on cruises. A recent TikTok about the tipping policy on the Disney Cruise Line sparked debate about how much gratuity is gratuitous.
📱 A competition watchdog in the U.K. ordered Meta, the parent company of Facebook, to sell the popular animated GIF website Giphy.
👗 Is the Lolita aesthetic just ruffled sleeves, circle skirts, and lacey fabric? Here we breakdown the popular Japanese fashion trend.*
🥪 A Subway employee has a PSA to customers who place their orders online: Be careful what you ask for.
🍒 A bartender caught—and subsequently cussed out—a customer who grabbed cherries with her hands from the bar’s fruit tray.
🦠 Here are the viral marketing campaigns that helped shape the internet as we know it.
💵 A Hooters server went viral on TikTok after calling out customers who are mad about the fact that the restaurant adds an automatic gratuity to its bills.
🌟 Do you know how to find your rising sign? If not, let our horoscopes column “Dot Rising” help you out!
*The Daily Dot may receive a commission in connection with purchases of products or services featured here.
📅 Meme of the Week
It’s almost Halloween time. The 12-foot-tall skeletons are ready.
🎶 Now Playing: “In A Good Way” by Faye Webster 🎶