Great Dane Realizes Owner's Ex Isn't Coming Home—His Reaction Breaks Hearts
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
A woman out walking the streets of Vancouver randomly bumped into her ex's dog, a pleasant surprise, until she began walking away.
Evelyn Martin, who posts on TikTok as @evelynmmartin, used to date someone who owned a Great Dane named Roman. However, when the relationship ended, so did her bonding time with Roman, whom she told Newsweek was always the best dog. And the feeling was mutual, as her July 7 video showed.
Roman immediately lit up when he saw her on the same block while being walked by the dog walker. Martin went over to say hello and give him some long-overdue pets.
The quick exchange wasn't enough for Roman, though. Martin began walking away, but she hesitated after seeing how distraught Roman became at the thought of her not coming home with him. His wagging tail slowed down, sinking with sadness. He wouldn't budge as the dog walker tried to move him along.
Screenshots from a July 7 TikTok video of a Great Dane showing "big emotions" as his owner's ex pets him and leaves.
Screenshots from a July 7 TikTok video of a Great Dane showing "big emotions" as his owner's ex pets him and leaves.
@evelynmmartin/TikTok
Martin couldn't stand the thought of leaving him that way, so she rushed over for a few more pets. As she approached him, Roman began jumping up and down, still holding onto hope she'd return home with him.
Funny enough, Martin knew this was how Roman would react. He's always been one with "big feelings," she said. He would give the same worried look to Martin when she would leave the house while dating his owner.
Previous videos from her Instagram account, @evelyn_martin, show how strong the relationship between Martin and Roman had been. He would follow her home on walks, making sure she arrived safely. He never turned down cuddles. And while he received attention from strangers, he only ever perked up when Martin arrived.
Viewer Reactions
The TikTok clip had reached over 1.1 million views and 232,700 likes as of Tuesday, with people demanding that she prioritize the dog's needs, stop breaking his heart, and get back together with her ex.
"If a dog tells you you're coming over, you're coming over," commented one viewer.
"Sounds like a co-parenting situation is needed," another person said.
But, because not all relationships are meant to last forever, a commenter pointed out: "At least there's one thing y'all can agree on: he seems like a really good boy."
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Cindy Crawford has some fans 'disappointed' after spending time in Muskoka with Logan Paul. What other celebrities vacation in the Canadian region?
Cindy Crawford is back in the Muskoka region, this time with a guest who's left some of her fans "disappointed." Over the weekend, the 59-year-old supermodel shared a few photos taken at a lakeside property in Ontario, sparking some controversy online. "What happens at the lake, stays at the lake," Crawford captioned her post, which featured a photo of herself in a boxing stance with 30-year-old YouTube personality Logan Paul. She included a hashtag for "Camp Salter," referring to the lakeside property Canadian billionaire Jamie Salter, 63, owns in Muskoka. The other pictures in her Instagram upload showed Paul posing alongside Crawford's husband Rande Gerber, 63, and Salter, along with a larger group photo featuring multiple people wearing hoodies with "Camp Salter" written on the chest. In the comments section, some showed their appreciation for Crawford's return to Ontario cottage country. "Welcome home!" wrote the Discover Muskoka Instagram account, along with blue and green heart emojis. "So cool, welcome to Canada," one person added. But many of the comments called out Crawford for spending time with Paul, who has faced numerous controversies since he started posting on social media more than a decade ago. Some fans expressed shock over the post, noting they'd now be unfollowing the model. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Cindy Crawford (@cindycrawford) "Embarrassing! You're Cindy Crawford. What the h— are you doing with Logan Paul? Wow," one person questioned. "Wow, MAGA lovers in Muskoka?!? This is very disappointing. You are visitors to our beautiful country that your leader wants to annex. This post ain't it," someone else chimed in. "Cindy….sister… delete this," another added. "Who would've ever thought I'd have to unfollow Cindy Crawford," someone shared. Over the years, Paul has faced numerous instances of backlash, from a December 2017 incident where he vlogged inside Japan's "suicide forest" to creating a health concern in mid-2023 with his Prime energy drinks. He and brother Jake Paul, 28, were also among the surprise celebrities who attended U.S. President Donald Trump's inauguration this past January. The Muskoka region has long been a hot spot for celebrities looking to cool off amid warm summer weather. For years, the Ontario region has offered people a great chance to get in some swimming time and revel in outdoor barbecues as they enjoy the hotter months of the year. Between Canadian stars like Justin Bieber and Shania Twain, to A-listers including David and Victoria Beckham, it's an area that's often frequented by some of the most recognizable names in entertainment. Below are some of the many big names who have enjoyed trips to the Muskoka region over the years. Shania Twain Last October, the 59-year-old country-pop icon celebrated the Canadian Thanksgiving long weekend in the area. The "Man! I Feel Like A Woman!" hitmaker took to Instagram on Oct. 14, 2024, to share a photo of herself bundled up on a dock while sitting in a Muskoka chair. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shania Twain (@shaniatwain) "There isn't anywhere more beautiful than Canada in the fall, and there isn't a better feeling than being warm and cozy in the crisp, cold air," she wrote. "Thankful for friends and family and this fabulous view. Heaven!" Canadian fans (and fellow celebrities) were quick to echo Twain's love of Canada. "Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!" commented fellow Canadian songstress Avril Lavigne. "It's like God dumped bright colours on all the trees. Growing up in northern Ontario, it was my favourite season," wrote a fan. While Twain spent her younger years in Timmins, Ont., she now spends some of her time a bit further south, in Ontario's Muskoka cottage country. Twain reportedly has a home in Lake of Bays. Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber Crawford and Gerber are frequent visitors of the Muskoka region. Last August, the supermodel showed off a carousel of photos on Instagram, including snapshots of herself and loved ones enjoying the Muskoka region. Her post included various selfies of her summer getaway, as well as pictures of herself paddleboarding, posing on her speedboat and eating delicious meals. She also included more photos of her 63-year-old husband, along with their two kids, 26-year-old Presley Gerber and 23-year-old Kaia Gerber. They posted an intimate sneak peek inside their Lake Muskoka cottage, nicknamed "Gerber Point Lodge." "Thanks for another great summer," Crawford captioned her post, alongside a sun emoji. "Until next year." In summer 2022, Crawford also made a few Instagram posts of her time at their cabin, including a video of herself steering a boat and a carousel of photos of her husband at their lakeside property. David and Victoria Beckham View this post on Instagram A post shared by Victoria Beckham (@victoriabeckham) Last summer, Victoria Beckham shared another series of photos from her and her family's summer spent in the Muskoka area. On Aug. 27, 2024, she posted a carousel of snapshots featuring loved ones, as well as a group photo featuring Crawford and Gerber. "Special family moments in Muskoka," she wrote with a Canadian flag emoji. "Kisses, #SalterFamily, I love you all so much!!" The 51-year-old fashion designer also tagged her 50-year-old husband David, as well as kids Romeo, Cruz and Harper. The previous summer, Victoria shared another carousel of photos from a family trip to the Muskoka area. On Aug. 7, 2023, she posted a variety of candid lake-side pictures of herself and loved ones. The post featured a picture of herself waterskiing, along with snapshots of the family enjoying the lake life. She also shared a photo of her and her husband posing with Canadian businessman Jamie Salter and his wife, Sheryl, on the water. "The most perfect few days in Muskoka with beautiful friends," Victoria captioned that post. In the comments section, people expressed their love for the English couple and welcomed them to Canada. "Come back soon! Hope you enjoyed your stay in the Muskokas!!" one person wrote, while someone else wrote, "Welcome to our playground." Austin Butler View this post on Instagram A post shared by Victoria Beckham (@victoriabeckham) Victoria Beckham also took to social media last summer to share a video featuring husband David, son Cruz and Elvis star Austin Butler lifting a fallen tree trunk above their heads. Butler, 33, likely spent time with the Beckhams while visiting the Muskoka region with then-girlfriend Kaia Gerber, Cindy Crawford's daughter. "Did you ever think you would see Elvis and Beckham lifting a tree? Helping the community in Muskoka. I'm impressed, gentleman!" Victoria captioned her clip on Aug. 6, 2023. In the comments, fans praised Butler and the Beckhams for embracing "the Canadian way." "How very Canadian of them," a fan wrote, while another added, "they are being so helpful like friendly Canadians." Justin and Hailey Bieber View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hailey Rhode Baldwin Bieber (@haileybieber) While Hailey and Justin Bieber don't currently own property in Muskoka, they've rented places on Lake Rosseau and Old Woman Island on Lake Muskoka in the past, according to Hello! magazine. The couple, who welcomed their first baby together last summer, reportedly kick back in the region often. Muskoka might be one of the couple's favourite Canadian destinations, but an area closer to Toronto appeared to steal their hearts back in 2018. That year, according to iDesignArch, Justin, 31, and Hailey, 28, purchased a $5-million waterfront estate on Puslinch Lake near Cambridge, Ont. Simu Liu In July 2023, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu took to Instagram with a carousel of snaps from a vacation in Muskoka. In the sun-soaked photos from Goshulak Island, the 36-year-old actor spent time on the lake boating, jet-skiing and wakeboarding with his fiancée, Allison Hsu. In his now-deleted post, the Canadian star included a caption that was nothing short of a love letter to Goshulak Island, revealing it has been his "safe haven for over a decade." The 36-year-old Barbie actor added he "lived a lot of life and seen many things in those years, but nothing quite compares to the majesty of the lake." Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell and Kate Hudson According to Forbes, actors Goldie Hawn, 79, and Kurt Russell, 74, own property on Lake Rosseau, north of Lake Muskoka. It's where the couple have spent summer vacations with Hawn's 46-year-old daughter, Kate Hudson. In a red carpet interview with etalk at the 2023 Oscars, Hudson recalled her family's go-to pit-stop when driving up to their Northern retreat. "You got to go to Tim Hortons, and I usually just get coffee," she told Canadian TV host Tyrone Edwards. Martin Short Canadian comedian Martin Short is a big fan of Muskoka. The Only Murders in the Building star owns a cottage on Lake Rosseau and has even honoured his summer getaways in Ontario by creating a collector's coin. In 2013, the 75-year-old actor teamed up with artist Tony Bianco to create a $3 coin for the Royal Canadian Mint. The collector's item features Short's summer home, a sailboat and two Adirondack chairs. "As much as I adore the excitement of cities, it's rural Canada that has always had my heart," the Hamilton, Ont.-born star said in a press release that year. "When I'm there, I feel like I'm in heaven. More than anything, that's what Canada means to me." Mark Wahlberg and Tie Domi View this post on Instagram A post shared by David Beckham (@davidbeckham) In August 2022, David Beckham shared a photo on Instagram posing with Canadian billionaire Jamie Salter, 63, Ted actor Mark Wahlberg, 54, and former Toronto Maple Leafs player Tie Domi, 55. In the picture, the four men flashed bright smiles for the camera and put their arms around each other. "Great few days in Muskoka," Beckham shared in the caption, alongside a Canadian flag emoji. "With family and friends. Wow, what a place. And yes, we laughed a lot and drank a little. The best." Shenae Grimes-Beech View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shenae Grimes-Beech (@shenaegrimesbeech) In July 2022, 90210 star Shenae Grimes-Beech shared a set of photos from her family holiday in Muskoka on her Instagram Stories. "Found a strip of pop-up shops made out of pastel-painted shipping containers in the middle of the woods. Muskoka, you're great," she captioned the first snap. The 35-year-old actress doubled down on her love for the region by sharing an additional photo of herself jet skiing, paired with the caption, "I repeat... Muskoka, you're great," alongside a Canadian flag emoji. Tom Hanks According to Forbes, Forrest Gump actor Tom Hanks has planted roots on the coastline of Lake Muskoka. The 69-year-old star owns a stunning lakeside cottage full of bay and picture windows, according to Bavarian Window Works. In the past, Hanks has shown his love for Canadians and the country's beauty. He replied to a letter from a fan in Toronto in 2016 who made a bet to see who could get a bet from a famous actor the fastest. "Toronto, huh? D— fine town," he wrote in his response, enclosed with a photo of himself. "Growing fast, all those condo towers down on the lake." Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin The Real Housewives of Beverley Hills actress Lisa Rinna, 62, and her Clash of the Titans-starring husband, Harry Hamlin, 73, have been taking getaways to the Muskoka area for years. They've reportedly spent many summers on Governors Island in Lake Joseph, where Hamlin's family has had a cottage for more than a century. View this post on Instagram A post shared by L I S A R I N N A (@lisarinna) In August 2023, Rinna took to Instagram with a carousel of photos from her summer in the region that year. "Some lake life 2023," the star captioned that post, alongside a Canadian flag emoji. Fans back then shared their appreciation for the post in the comments section. "Have the same view! It's the best," wrote New York-based stylist Leslie Fremar. "You rock," a fan added. Summer McIntosh Summer McIntosh might be an Olympic-winning swimmer, but that doesn't mean she can't spend a bit of vacation time on Lake Muskoka. Following the Paris Olympics last year, the 18-year-old athlete took off to her family's cottage in the area with "the girls." The Toronto-born swimmer took to Instagram last August to share a carousel of photos with her friends enjoying the lake-side relaxation time. In the photos, the women posed on a dock wearing bikinis. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Summer McIntosh (@summerrmcintosh) "I think her favourite place is our cottage up north, she's just so excited to go there," McIntosh's mom, Jill, said last summer, according to the National Post. "She loves outdoors. She loves waterskiing. She doesn't do any swimming up there — she might do a cannon ball off the dock and that's it.
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Tom Morello announces full band tour, two NYC shows. Get tickets today
Vivid Seats is the New York Post's official ticketing partner. We may receive revenue from this partnership for sharing this content and/or when you make a purchase. Featured pricing is subject to change. Rock and roll's number one rule breaker is back in the saddle. Tom Morello announced he's touring arts centers, theaters, music halls, plaza rock clubs and casinos all over North America this fall as part of his 'Tom Morello & Friends Electric Full Band Show Tour.' While out and about, the Rage Against The Machine guitarist is slated to headline a trio of New York and New Jersey gigs. Up first, the 61-year-old NYC native hits Brooklyn's Warsaw on Tuesday, Nov. 18. After that, he and the 'full band' are scheduled to rock New York's Irving Plaza on Wednesday, Nov. 19 and Atlantic City's Borgata Casino Music Box on Friday, Nov. 21. 'Coming at you this fall! The last Big Event before they throw us all in jail!,' the subversive shredder jested in his tour announcement via Instagram. Prior to the brief U.S. leg of the run, Morello is lending his talents to the annual Rocklahoma Festival (Aug. 30) and then heading North for a Canadian tour he's billed as 'a night of stories and music.' Over the past few weeks, the anti-establishment Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee has played a handful of shows and festival dates in Canada. And, while we don't know what to expect from these upcoming autumnal tours, we found that he delivered 20+ tracks at most of his summer gigs, according to Set List FM. His most recent non-festival concert at the time of publication took place at Toronto's Danforth Hall and was a 21-song affair that included RATM classics along with solo cuts and Nightwatchman favorites as well as surprise covers from artists as varied as Ozzy Osbourne, Woody Guthrie, Audioslave, Bruce Springsteen and John Lennon. To close out the show, he shared the stage with Rush's Alex Lifeson and delivered a blistering interpretation of the legendary Canadian group's epic 'Limelight' followed by a rendition of MC5's punchy 'Kick Out the Jams.' 'The set unfolded like a revolution-in-progress—carefully crafted, loud as hell, and impossible to ignore,' Soundcheck Entertainment raved about another recent gig of his in Edmonton. '…it was a rallying cry, a family celebration, and a musical gut-punch all rolled into one. From Roman's [Morello's son, who plays in the band] scorching opener to Woody Guthrie's Canadian makeover, from RATM fury to acoustic rebellion, this night had it all.' Want to be there? Fans can purchase tickets for all upcoming Tom Morello shows on sites like Vivid Seats; the official on-sale for the 'Tom Morello & Friends Electric Full Band Show Tour' is Friday, July 25. Vivid Seats is a secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand. They have a 100% buyer guarantee that states your transaction will be safe and secure and will be delivered before the event. Tom Morello tour schedule 2025 A complete calendar including all U.S. and Canada tour/festival dates, venues and links to buy tickets can be found below. Rocklahoma 2025 Ahead of the forthcoming run, Morello will take part in this year's Rocklahoma, which goes down Aug. 29-31 at Pryor, OK's Fever Music Festival Grounds. Big names joining him atop the bill including Shinedown, Five Finger Death Punch, Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace and Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden among others. Need to be there? In that case, you can scoop up single and multi-day Rocklahoma Festival tickets here. Tom Morello set list For a closer look at Morello's Toronto show described above, here's his complete set list from that evening, courtesy of Set List FM. 01.) 'Soldier in the Army of Love' 02.) 'One Last Dance' 03.) 'Testify / Take the Power Back / Freedom / Snakecharmer' (Rage Against the Machine song) 04.) 'Let's Get the Party Started' 05.) 'Hold the Line' 06.) 'One Man Revolution' (The Nightwatchman song) 07.) 'Secretariat' 08.) 'Cato Stedman & Neptune Frost' 09.) 'It Begins Tonight' (The Nightwatchman song) 10.) 'Keep Going' 11.) 'The Garden of Gethsemane' (The Nightwatchman song) 12.) 'This Land Is Your Land' (Woody Guthrie cover) 13.) 'Pretend You Remember Me' 14.) 'Mr. Crowley' (Ozzy Osbourne cover) 15.) 'Bombtrack / Know Your Enemy / Bulls on Parade / Guerilla Radio / Sleep Now in the Fire / Bullet in the Head / Cochise' (Rage Against the Machine song) 16.) 'Like a Stone' (Audioslave song) 17.) 'The Ghost of Tom Joad' (Bruce Springsteen cover) 18.) 'Killing in the Name' (Rage Against the Machine song) 19.) 'Power to the People' (John Lennon cover) Encore 20.) 'Limelight' (Rush cover) (with Alex Lifeson) 21.) 'Kick Out the Jams' (MC5 cover) (with Alex Lifeson) (Along with Dave Baksh, Jason McCaslin and Snotty Nose Rez Kids) Tom Morello new music Most recently, Morello dropped the single 'Pretend You Remember Me' on July 10. The scorching rocker starts with a thrilling electric solo before settling into a melancholy groove complete with brow-beaten, downtrodden lyrics highlighted by the unforgettable refrain 'Pretend you remember me.' If you'd like to hear for yourself, you can find the stirring single here. To dig deeper — and unearth tracks contributed to the 'Last of Us,' 'Arcane' and 'Venom' soundtracks as well as his work with The Nightwatchman — click here to check out Morello's complete discography. Tom Morello band members Once again, we're not 100% certain who will be joining Morello onstage as the 'full band' but here's who he's taken on the road with him this summer as part of the Freedom Fighter Orchestra, based on a recent Instagram post. Carl Restivo Mark Biondi Dave Gibbs Roman Morello Huge rockers on tour in 2025 Need more hard rock in your life right now? If that's the case, here are just five can't-miss heavy acts you won't want to miss live these next few months. • System of a Down • Nine Inch Nails • Zakk Sabbath • My Chemical Romance • Judas Priest with Alice Cooper Who else is out and about? Take a look at this list of all the biggest rockers on tour in 2025 to find the show for you. This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change
Vox
an hour ago
- Vox
Should we feel weird about the Coldplay cheating drama?
is a culture writer interested in reality TV, movies, pop music, Black media, and celebrity culture. Previously, she wrote for the Daily Beast and contributed to several publications, including Vulture, W Magazine, and Bitch Media. What does it mean to be a private individual in public? Are we all just characters waiting to go viral? These questions have resurfaced following the instantly-infamous Jumbotron incident that occurred during a Coldplay concert last week. Astronomer CEO Andy Byron, who's married, and the company's head of human resources, Kristin Cabot, were caught cuddling before trying (and failing) to evade the camera. Chris Martin quipped, apparently accurately, that they acted like they were having an affair. Some, though, have taken a more hands-on approach to the drama. Once the concert footage went viral, users flooded the comments of Byron and Cabot's LinkedIn pages before they were taken down. Another Coldplay concertgoer sent TMZ additional footage of the couple canoodling. Users identified Byron's wife, flooding her social media, as well as a third Astronomer executive, who was spotted on the Jumbotron laughing at the ordeal. Understandably, a married CEO getting caught and subsequently resigning for having inappropriate relations with a subordinate hasn't warranted much sympathy. The ordeal is amusing to the extent that the players are largely unrelatable and seemingly thoughtless. Still, the fallout has been disconcerting to some. While the couple was exposed in a seemingly organic and accidental way, the speed at which the story escalated, with the help of online sleuths and even brands weighing in, demonstrated how easily personal matters can become public spectacles. It raises some obvious concerns about our relationship to privacy in a digital culture where the surveillance of strangers has been normalized and personal information is increasingly accessible. What happens to privacy when everything is available? What happens when exposing others is more and more commonly dressed up as fun? Since the early days of social media, average people have been at risk of becoming public, widely discussed figures overnight. Still, the advent of TikTok has made this a much more common occurrence — frequently without the permission of the people who go viral. The idea that you could be watched at any time but can never know when has gone from a philosophical prison design — Jeremy Bentham's concept of the panopticon— to a state of reality. In a 2023 BuzzFeed News story, reporter Clarissa-Jan Lim described this mostly TikTok-driven phenomenon as 'panopticontent,' where 'everything is content for the creating, and everyone is a nonplayer character in [users'] world[s].' In many cases, filming strangers has been proven to be a correct and necessary course of action. The Black Lives Matter movement was bolstered by citizens recording their negative interactions with police, for awareness-raising and proof in seeking justice. This seemed to inspire a surge in 'Karen' videos, exposing people for racist and other discriminatory behavior. However, post-pandemic, the tendency to pull out your phone and press record has descended into something much less urgent and more opportunistic. We've witnessed this before. At the height of tabloid culture in the '90s and early 2000s, we watched celebrities get hounded by paparazzi and have their personal lives examined with a microscope in magazines. Associate professor Jenna Drenten, who studies digital consumer culture at Loyola University Chicago, coined the term 'TikTok tabloid' to describe how this behavior has translated to the app in much more participatory fashion from observers. However, she says that users have created a power imbalance by subjecting regular people to this sort of spotlight. 'In the past, there was an implicit social contract: celebrities traded privacy for fame, and audiences felt justified in scrutinizing them,' says Drenten. 'But that logic doesn't cleanly apply to regular people caught in viral moments. And yet, the same infrastructure of judgment, spectacle, and moral commentary gets applied to them.' This behavior isn't just user-driven. It's often amplified and commodified by brands, as seen with Neon, Chipotle, and even betting platforms, like Polymarket, following the Coldplay incident. Drenten says that the 'blurring of public spectacle, private consequence, and corporate opportunism' is where things get even more 'ethically murky.' 'The viral attention economy is no longer limited to individuals or content creators,' she says. 'Brands are increasingly acting like culture-jacking spectators, helping to fuel the pile-on.' A larger problem often occurs after this content circulates and rakes in tons of views. The social mystery at the heart of any human drama routinely incites further engagement and sleuthing, with users becoming participants in the saga. As with the Astronomer CEO and his family, spectators usually end up doxxing the people involved, whether that's exposing their job positions or their home addresses. As this behavior gets swept up in more socially-sanctioned reactions (like jokes from regular people and brands), it affirms an increasing loss of etiquette around personal information, one that's been spearheaded by tech corporations, according to one Cornell University professor. Helen Nissenbaum, author of Privacy in Context: Technology, Policy, and the Integrity of Social Life, says tech companies have been influential in shaping our views on privacy based on what's accessible to us, creating an 'all bets are off' approach to spreading information. 'The big tech platforms have gotten away with a really poor conception of privacy,' Nissenbaum says. 'It's allowed them to say things like, 'If it's in public, anything goes.' This is how OpenAI defended itself by saying, 'We're scraping stuff on the open web without asking.'' Apps have normalized collecting and sharing users' personal information to target advertisers. There are now websites, like Did My Friends Vote, where you can easily but not always accurately access someone's voting history. These issues around theft and consent are playing out in the development of generative AI. The New York Times is currently suing OpenAI for using their original content to train its popular AI tool, ChatGPT. This sense of entitlement trickles down to practically anyone who owns a phone. Nissenbaum says, as a result, we need to adopt a 'new theory' and new 'social norms' around privacy. One way is to remind people that these extreme levels of surveillance and information-gathering are, in her words, 'creepy.' The consequence is a world where people feel less free to be their authentic selves in public, whether that's dressing how they want or attending a protest. 'When we get to this point where we accept that people can take videos, take photos, post it online for ICE or NSA or whoever to grab those photos, now we're in a police state,' she says. For now, the Coldplay Jumbotron incident might warrant some genuine laughs. But if we value not only our privacy but our sense of individuality, our impulse to amplify strangers' drama could probably use some reflection.
