Trolling the trolls

Hi, it’s Alex Barinka in Los Angeles. One of TikTok’s biggest stars got famous by calling out the bad behavior that evades social media mode [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Hi, it’s Alex Barinka in Los Angeles. One of TikTok’s biggest stars got famous by calling out the bad behavior that evades social media moderation. But first... Today’s must-reads: • Podcast guests are paying up to $50,000 to [appear on popular shows]( • The latest crypto attack: Hackers [stole millions]( from Solana wallets • Apple expects to delay its next major iPad software update by [about a month]( The art of the clapback Everyone who has been attacked or harassed on the internet knows the advice: don’t feed the trolls. If you respond to the vitriol, the theory goes, you might end up amplifying it—while giving the attackers the sweet satisfaction of having offended you, or at least wasted your time. Initiatives by social media companies to try and reduce harassment on their platforms follow the same principle. It’s all about muting and blocking. Large companies like TikTok, Instagram and Twitter work on the theory that ignorance is bliss, letting users hide posts containing certain keywords, or directly filtering with artificial intelligence what might be offensive to someone, the technological equivalent of the fingers-in-ears response to the schoolyard bully. But hiding the problem doesn’t make it go away. That’s why I was so fascinated by the approach of Drew Afualo, who I profiled in [Bloomberg Businessweek](. She’s a unique kind of mega-influencer that roasts trolls online using a mix of logic and jokes, throwing the tactics that insult-slinging men on TikTok like to use back in their faces. She’s quickly become a sort of folk hero for her followers on social media, a place where many women have gotten used to the litany of verbal and video abuse that can come from simply stating an opinion or posting a photo online. For Afualo, going on offense has been incredibly successful. She has about 9 million followers across social media, a podcast and partnerships with the likes of musician Lizzo’s activewear brand Yitty. A former digital media coordinator, she’s clever and calculated, even if her ranting videos can appear off-the-cuff. She recognizes the complicated role social media companies like TikTok play in providing her a megaphone, a livelihood and a place to empower other women—while also struggling to create or enforce policies that reduce harassment. The companies struggle, she says, because they’re playing whack-a-mole. Online trolls quickly identify key words that might get banned by platforms, and develop new language to express their derogatory ideas. TikTok trolls “found ways to be terrible and bigoted and vitriolic outside of the guidelines because they figured out how to post without getting it taken down,” she said in an interview. “That’s why someone like me blossomed on there… I found a way to make fun of them in a way that was still within the rules, but, you know, delivered the message.” When I asked Afualo if she thinks the social platforms will ever be able to eradicate harassment online, she said “no, I don’t think it’s possible.” Meanwhile, more people are rallying around her way of doing things. Every day, thousands of people call her attention to misogynistic, racist or abusive content, saying they don’t want to silence it—they want her to help them fight back. —[Alex Barinka](mailto:abarinka2@bloomberg.net) The big story This $500 machine makes cocktails and coffee. Just add water (and capital). The startup Cana is building a device that can make anything from seltzer to wine, but investment is suddenly [tough to come by](. What else you need to know Meta’s Nick Clegg is the latest top executive from the social media giant to relocate [to London](, as the company shifts toward remote work. Big tech is spending lots of money to make [antitrust reform]( seem scary. Activision Blizzard and NetEase torpedoed a World of Warcraft smartphone game that had been in development [for three years](. Airbnb’s CEO talked with Bloomberg TV about the boom in [summer travel](. Follow Us More from Bloomberg Dig gadgets or video games? [Sign up for Power On]( to get Apple scoops, consumer tech news and more in your inbox on Sundays. [Sign up for Game On]( to go deep inside the video game business, delivered on Fridays. Why not try both? Like getting this newsletter? [Subscribe to Bloomberg.com]( for unlimited access to trusted, data-driven journalism and subscriber-only insights.​​​​​​​ You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Fully Charged newsletter. If a friend forwarded you this message, [sign up here]( to get it in your inbox. [Unsubscribe]( [Bloomberg.com]( [Contact Us]( Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022 [Ads Powered By Liveintent]( [Ad Choices](