
"I Ghosted My Friend After She Asked To Split Her Birthday Bill. Was I Unfair?"
And with the cozzie livs showing absolutely no signs of relenting in 2025, it doesn't seem like the trend will reverse any time soon.
Which makes Redditor u/Quick_Aioli6466 ′s recent post to r/AITAH (Am I The Asshole Here) seem even more unfair.
The 30-year-old poster said she felt blindsided by her friend's seemingly self-serving (and misleading) birthday party payment plan.
So, we spoke to Dr Pamela Walters, a consultant psychiatrist, about what's fair to ask of your guests financially.
The original poster (OP) felt misled
The Redditor said that a friend of hers ('Megan'), who owns a restaurant with her partner, 'Dave,' chose to hold her birthday in the couple's 'popular' venue.
'They invited about 40 people' to their restaurant, the woman added.
'They closed the restaurant for the night just for the event... it was a private party with only their intended guests.'
At the beginning of the night, OP says Dave raised a toast to Megan and beseeched the guests to order 'whatever you want.'
So she and multiple other guests were pretty surprised to receive bills the following day from the business owners, many of which ran into the hundreds.
'Everyone kind of assumed it was being hosted, or at the very least subsidised,' she continued.
She reckons the hosting couple profited to the tune of about £3,750, which left her feeling 'icky' and suspicious of a 'cash grab.'

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CNBC
5 hours ago
- CNBC
Coinbase's UK musical ad hits a nerve — sparking debate from crypto fans to founders
Coinbase set the business community alight after the American crypto firm dropped a musical advert which lambasted the U.K. as besieged by economic problems and an ongoing cost-of-living crisis. Online communities from LinkedIn to Reddit are buzzing over the two-minute mini musical ad titled "Everything is Fine," which satirized the U.K. as a country riven with strikes, job losses and rocketing prices. Two people featured in the ad say they're "jumping ship" and leaving for sunnier climes in Dubai. Fintech, crypto and venture capitalists — frequent investors in the crypto world — praised the video and agreed with its underlying premise, but the ad has also divided opinion among Brits outside of the industry. "An absolute banger from Coinbase," venture capitalist Michael Jackson commented on LinkedIn, adding that "it's been sad to see the UK's — particularly London's — decline in recent decades." "The country's bureaucracy is overbearing and stifling, and it continues to walk back on personal freedoms. Policies are ill conceived. Politicians are incompetent. There's been a discernible decline in quality of life there," he noted. Helen Yu, the founder and CEO of Tigon Advisory Corp and named as one of the top 50 Women in Tech, commented on LinkedIn that the ad reminded her of "when regulatory hurdles shaped how we approached messaging in emerging tech. Sometimes the most creative ideas find their home where the rules aren't as strict." Other reactions were more cynical, saying the ad was purely self-promotional and painted a misleading picture of the U.K. The opening shot shows water leaking through a ceiling before a man cheerfully launches into the lyrics, "We ain't got no troubles, no reason to complain because here in Great old Britain, we just love it when it rains" before segueing into a musical montage of rat and trash-strewn streets, chaotic roadworks and exorbitant prices at the supermarket. One shot shows a shopper buying fish fingers priced at £100 ($132). Nota bene, a typical pack of six frozen fish fingers costs nearer to £3 from national supermarket Tesco. Coinbase said of the ad, "if everything is fine, then don't change anything at all. But when the financial system isn't working for so many people in the U.K., it needs to be updated," adding that firm's mission was to "create an open financial system for the world." The ad has nevertheless drawn its own share of critics. "Ah yes. The solution to inflation, stagnating wages, crumbling infrastructure and withering welfare system... cryptocurrency," one user wrote on Reddit's "AskBrits" thread, while others described the ad as "infantile" and "arrogant." Many questioned how the ad showed consumers what Coinbase, a crypto investment platform, actually does. The satirical ad has been widely seen as a strident critique of the U.K. government. Critics of the Labour-led administration have previously accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer of not doing enough to fix problems such as lackluster growth, rising debt and shaky business investment. Crypto firms like Coinbase have historically had an axe to grind with various Western governments, which they've accused of being slow to embrace cryptocurrencies and to modernize policies and regulation. CNBC has contacted the U.K. government and Coinbase for further comment. The government's critics were quick to jump on the ad over the weekend, with Nigel Farage, head of the Reform UK party, commenting on X that "Even Coinbase says Britain is broken." Conservative and former U.K. Chancellor George Osborne, who's on the advisory council of Coinbase, warned in an opinion piece in the Financial Times on Monday that "Britain missed the first crypto wave. We can't miss the second." There are conflicting opinions over the wider economic outlook for the U.K. — the annual rate of domestic inflation rose to 3.6% in June, but is expected to moderate over the course of the year, according to the Bank of England, which is seen cutting interest rates from 4.25% to 4% at its next meeting in August. The U.K. is expected to grow 1.3% in 2025 before slowing to 1% in 2026, according to the OECD, although a trade deal and a baseline 10% export tariff with the U.S. has soothed fears over a further hit to the economy. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong noted on X on Monday that the company's ad had "sparked quite a reaction" but claimed that the video was not targeting the Labour-led government, specifically. "Needing to update the system and improve society is not a political statement on either party in the UK (some have tried to turn it into this). And it's not specific to the U.K. (we ran ads with similar themes in the U.S.)," he said, adding that it was "a statement about how the traditional financial system is not working for many people and how crypto represents a way to improve that." He also claimed that the firm's previous ad, posted on YouTube last Thursday, had "got banned in the UK by the TV networks." CNBC was unable to verify this. Coinbase has had a previous run-in with the U.K.'s Advertising Standards Agency, however, with a 2021 ad deemed to be misleading for consumers and for failing to adequately highlight the risks associated with such investments. Armstrong on Monday said that the company welcomed "the attacks and any other attempts to censor this message, as it just helps it spread." Back in April, Coinbase's U.K. boss Keith Grose told CNBC that Britain needed "smart" regulation or risked losing ground to rival fintech and crypto hubs in the U.S. and Asia. He and other crypto heads have argued that the national regulator takes too strict of an approach to registering new firms, and that pension funds managing trillions of pounds are too risk-averse, despite Britain previously promising to be a bastion of innovation in the industry. Coinbase shares fell last Thursday after the company's second-quarter revenue came in shy of analysts' estimates. Gains in the cryptocurrency exchange's subscription revenue failed to offset weaker trading volumes during the quarter, the earnings showed. In the quarter ended June 30, Coinbase's net income rose to $1.43 billion, or $5.14 per share, from $36.13 million, or 14 cents per share, a year ago.


Tom's Guide
3 days ago
- Tom's Guide
Age verification comes to X – and you might not be able to verify at all
Following the introduction of the Online Safety Act, Britons are finding that a number of websites and apps are asking them to verify their age. X is one of those sites, and along with Reddit, Spotify, and even Wikipedia, it is requiring users to submit proof of age in order to see certain content – but age verification on X is complex to say the least. Demand for the best VPNs has skyrocketed in the UK, with major providers seeing huge spikes in sign ups. Brits are searching for ways to bypass age verification checks in response to their perceived cybersecurity risks, and many are trying to get around age verification on X due to how confusing the system is. Many users are reporting they can't verify their age at all, and others are reporting that only X Premium subscribers can verify their age. Below, we lay out everything you need to know. NordVPN: Our #1 VPN overallWe've tested dozens of VPNs, and we consider NordVPN the best for most people. This is because it boasts super fast speeds, has top-tier privacy and security, and has great unblocking power. Tom's Guide readers can get a 2-year deal for £2.31 / $2.91 per month (£64.56 / $81.36 up front pre-tax). This exclusive deal comes with an extra 4 months of protection and Amazon gift cards worth up to $50 with NordVPN Plus and higher plans. All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. As it stands, X users in the UK that have not verified their age will either not see content deemed 18+ on their timeline, or will see a message that reads: "Due to local laws, we are temporarily restricting access to this content until X estimates your age." X's Age Assurance policy lists the ways in which age verification can take place. One method is using "highly reliable signals" such as: X verifies users automatically using these signals, and no further action is required. Additional steps that don't require user action are email address and network-based connections. Not every X user can be automatically verified in this way. X offers two methods for user-involved verification: X states "these measures should be made available in the following weeks," so it isn't clear whether this can currently be done. There is also a suggestion that user-involved age verification can only be accessed by subscribing to X Premium. X's ID Verification policy states "ID Verification is available globally for X Premium" and doesn't make reference to age verification for non-subscribing users. Despite this, some users on Reddit are saying that two types of ID are required, even after purchasing X Premium. Another user reported that the ID verification systems are "offline." A Reddit user in Spain said even after verifying their ID and subscribing to X Premium, they are still receiving the "due to local laws" message. This implies that, at the time of writing, anyone who fails the "highly reliable signals" part of X age verification is unable to verify their age at all. If it is true that X users on a free plan are physically unable to verify their age without subscribing to X Premium, this is worrying. A two-tier system is being created where content is censored to those who can't or won't pay. This can be seen as internet censorship and corporate greed. Even if an X user can verify their age, it's still a potential privacy risk. The data being handed over is highly sensitive and consequences could be catastrophic if there was a data breach. People see it as an attack on privacy and there are strong opinions on either side of the debate. X says it uses Au10ticx, Persona, and Stripe for ID verification, with Stripe being used for creators in the US. Questions are being asked about how any data submitted is stored – and how securely. X says "we collect an image of the ID and the selfie, which include face data and data extracted from the ID." It says it "prioritizes your privacy" and adds that "third-party providers will also be bound by strict data protection standards." In its age verification policy it says "Au10tix and Persona delete images of the IDs, selfies and data extracted from the ID after 30 days. This helps X provide you an opportunity to appeal a verification decision and for X to review your appeal." However it says "Stripe will retain the data as long as the user remains a creator." As mentioned, demand for VPNs in the UK has soared. Users believe connecting to a server in another country can help them avoid age verification checks. OFCOM has discouraged the use of VPNs to bypass checks This increased attention on VPNs has led some to ask whether the UK government will ban VPNs. In the case of X, user reports suggest that VPNs alone can't unblock content on the app. There is an option within X's settings to change your location and if this is set to the UK, content will be blocked regardless of whether you use a VPN or not. Originally, it appeared as though changing this location was enough to avoid the checks and unblock content – but this no longer seems to be the case. Experiences vary, but users who have had success in avoiding age checks and unblocking content report having to change their in-app location and use a VPN at the same time. We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.


New York Post
4 days ago
- New York Post
The week in whoppers: Kathy Hochul bombs out defending Zohran Mamdani, UK's Keir Starmer gaslights on censorship and more
Diary of disturbing disinformation and dangerous delusions These excuses: 'Going after an unelected official [Zohran Mamdani] who said something back in 2020 when many people were — I mean, c'mon.' — Gov. Kathy Hochul, Tuesday We say: Hochul was excusing Mamdani's past anti-police smears, but (as usual) couldn't have been more lame: She implied that it's no big deal he called cops 'racist' and a 'threat to public safety,' because he didn't hold public office at the time — never mind that he's running for mayor now. She pooh-poohed his vile slurs as just 'he said something.' Something? He defamed cops! 'Many people were' saying similar things. Sorry, that only proves Mamdani is a principle-free opportunist. Not to mention, it wasn't many people; just the left. This claim: 'We don't censor anyone.' — UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Monday We say: True, as social-media wags snarked, Britain's government doesn't 'censor'; it lets you say whatever you want — then arrests you if it doesn't like it. That's what happened to Brits calling for mass deportations of illegal immigrants, a black woman using the N-word, even someone holding a sign saying, 'Coercion is a crime' near an abortion clinic. The Times of London reported 3,395 arrests for online speech alone just in 2016. And the crackdown has only grown since. Flashback: '[Trump's tariffs are] going to be about potentially millions of people losing their jobs . . . savings . . . retirement security.' — Sen Elizabeth Warren, April 9 We say: Well that didn't hold up well. Just four months after President Donald Trump rolled out his tariffs, the Commerce Department reported that GDP grew at a fine 3% clip in Q2. Private-sector employment spiked by 104,000 jobs last month. Yearly wages are up 4.4%, outpacing inflation. Doomsayers like Warren actually predicted a recession, but there's clearly none in sight. This tweet: We say: Schiff warns against 'attacking' climate 'science' but then shows precisely why it's attacked: 'Step outside and feel the heat,' he says, as if a hot summer day is proof climate change is a catastrophe already destroying humanity, and Dems' economically suicidal green agenda is the only cure. Please. — Compiled by The Post Editorial Board