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Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Twitch CEO facing backlash for 'shamelessly' promoting his own stream in others' chats during charity event
(Image via @djclancy999/YouTube) Twitch CEO Dan Clancy is in the spotlight this week, and not for the reasons he'd probably hoped. The head of the world's largest streaming platform is drawing heat after being spotted dropping his own channel links and asking for 'raids' across multiple other Twitch streams. What started as a charity stream for a good cause has turned into a PR mess, with critics slamming the top boss for 'shamelessly' plugging his own channel in other creators' chats. Dan Clancy drops promo messages across popular Twitch channels On Thursday, July 18, Clancy went live for a four-hour charity stream as part of the GCX Marathon, a week-long event supporting St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. But just before the stream began, screenshots began circulating showing Clancy dropping nearly identical messages in several high-profile Twitch streams, essentially asking for raids. 'Shamelessly going into chat of streamers,' one of the messages read, as Clancy openly acknowledged what he was doing. Viewers spotted the same copy-paste pitch in chats hosted by big creators like Gassymexican and Fanfan, with a combined reach of over a million followers. In one instance, things escalated: A channel moderator actually timed out the CEO of Twitch for ten minutes for what they saw as blatant self-promotion. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Upgrade to Exclusive 3 BHKs ASBL Book Now Undo Charity or clout-chasing? The debate takes over X While Clancy's intentions may have been charitable, his delivery didn't sit right with a chunk of the Twitch community. Across X (formerly Twitter), users were quick to weigh in. 'So... since the CEO does it does it mean everyone else can do it now? XD,' one user posted. ' if it's for charity, that's still so disrespectful and shameful, especially as the CEO…, ' another user said. Twitch's own rules? Not broken, but definitely bent Technically, Clancy didn't violate any written Twitch Terms of Service. Self-promotion in chat isn't against platform policy, unless it becomes spam. But that's where things get murky. The company's Community Guidelines do warn against 'spam and other deceptive practices' that 'disrupt or interrupt the user experience.' And repeated promo messages, even from the CEO, toe that line. While Twitch leaves it up to each streamer to set chat rules, the platform's broader culture has long frowned upon unsolicited self-promo. Coming from the top, it hit harder. Silence from Twitch HQ as memes do the talking As of now, neither Clancy nor Twitch has made an official statement. But that hasn't stopped the memes and reaction clips from flooding Reddit, Discord, and creator streams. From 'CEO timed out by mod' jokes to side-by-sides of Clancy's messages, the moment has become internet lore in under 24 hours. Whether this ends as a learning moment or fades into the ever-growing pile of Twitch controversies remains to be seen. But one thing's clear: even charity can't save you from a chatroom backlash if the delivery feels off. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Business Insider
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Business Insider
Rideshare drivers use apps to help them judge whether a ride is worth it. Uber and Lyft are trying to kill some of them.
As gig workers' incomes have dropped, some Uber and Lyft drivers are turning to apps like GigU, Maxymo, and Mystro to help them work smarter — and dodge the lowest-paying rides. "They weed out the garbage offers that they're sending you," said Sergio Avedian, a driver and senior contributor to the Rideshare Guy, a gig driver advocacy blog and YouTube channel. "The cherry-pickers always make more money." Some of the apps have recently encountered roadblocks in the form of rideshare giants Uber and Lyft, which argue that using the third-party apps runs afoul of their terms of service. Doug Feigelson, the CEO of Mystro, told Business Insider that Uber has sent letters accusing his company of violating its terms of service and interfering with its relationships with drivers. "We think we're aligned with at least their publicly stated values," Feigelson said, adding that he believes his app promotes driver safety by keeping drivers' eyes on the road. He said he hopes the companies can reach a deal. "But we certainly are worried, especially with Uber's cease-and-desist letters, that they might sue us." An Uber representative said they wouldn't talk about any specific app, but said "using third-party tools to bypass the system breaks our Community Guidelines and Terms of Service. It hurts riders, other drivers, and the trust that keeps Uber running." The apps often use an Android phone's accessibility features to read the screen and overlay a widget to guide the driver. Feigelson said Mystro uses ride and delivery apps' application programming interfaces, or APIs, so that drivers can automatically accept and reject offers based on criteria they select, such as the ride's per-mile revenue. They aren't free, but they say drivers can increase their earnings by more than what the tools cost, which ranges from $5 to $19 a month. Some drivers have previously told BI that they can make more money if they're pickier about the rides they accept, though for Uber drivers, declining rides based on destinations can put their accounts at risk. Once upon a time, Uber was seen as a technological disruptor, upsetting incumbent taxi companies and bucking outdated local rules on ride services. The company even had a project called Greyball that it used for years to serve up a fake version of the app to regulators. Now, it's the one cracking down. GigU, which launched in the United States in May, was sued by Uber in Brazil, where it says its app has been downloaded a half-million times. GigU says it has come out ahead, although Uber has said the legal process is ongoinGigUigU also said it has filed an antitrust complaint against Uber with CADE, a Brazilian regulator. Uber said its driver app is transparent about where demand is high and where a particular ride would go and how much a driver would make from it. Transferring credentials violates its terms of service, the representative said. "Using automation tools, apps, or bots to manipulate the Uber app or access Uber data in any way isn't allowed." Luiz Gustavo Neves, GigU's CEO and cofounder, also told BI that some of its US users recently got an email from Lyft. The message told gig workers that Lyft had "identified unusual behavior associated with your driver account" and that third-party apps, of which GigU is one, "are not secure and not allowed." While the message didn't specifically name GigU or any other apps, Lyft's message made the risks to drivers clear: "Your account may be at risk of deactivation." Since Lyft sent out the message, GigU and Mystro have both sought to argue that using the apps doesn't put drivers' access to Lyft at risk. GigU has published a blog post on its website and answered users' questions on Reddit, Neves said. GigU isn't violating Lyft's terms of service, Neves believes. A Lyft spokesperson said the group isn't against all third-party apps and says it hasn't disabled any driver accounts for using them. It said that some of the apps cross lines, though it didn't name any. "Unauthorized apps can harm the user experience and create an unfair marketplace for our drivers, for example by enabling automatic ride cancellations, delaying response times, and disadvantaging those who follow the rules," the spokesperson wrote in an email. Most ride-hailing and delivery drivers still don't use third-party apps to screen their ride and delivery offers. The UberEatsDrivers forum on Reddit, which is run by drivers and has 76,000 members, says it will ban users who discuss what it calls "cheating apps." The rule singles out Para, which shut down last year, according to Reddit posts by its users. Minsu Longiaru, an attorney with the worker advocacy group PowerSwitch Action, said it's unsurprising that ride-hailing drivers would turn to third-party apps in hopes of getting an edge. She said her group's recent survey of Uber drivers showed that most of them felt "squeezed and manipulated" by the app and said they often earned less than they expected because offers seemed to get worse as they approached their goals. "We think that it's fair that drivers should be able to use tools that they have at their disposal to try and make a fair and decent wage," she said. "At the same time, these third-party tools are not a substitute for real protection." This past fall, Lyft executive Jeremy Byrd said it has made its app more transparent for drivers. Some drivers and the teams behind the apps are skeptical of the gig apps' claims to be acting in drivers' interests. "They probably would love it if drivers only worked for their app and if they offered lowball fares and drivers would accept them," Feigelson said.
The Irish Sun
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
I'm a teen mum on UC and pregnant with my second child – now I'm desperate for strangers to help fund my caravan holiday
A TEEN mother who is pregnant with her second child has shared her hopes for strangers to help fund her next holiday. Loula Wood, who is from the UK and Advertisement 2 An 18-year-old mother has shared her desires for strangers to help fund her family holiday Credit: TikTok / @loulawood 2 Loula Wood asked social media users to help her make money so that she can stay in a caravan Credit: TikTok / @loulawood The 18-year-old mum, who has a one-year-old daughter and is currently 20 weeks pregnant with a baby boy, acknowledged that while According to TikTok's official While it is not a grant or ad revenue program, the Creator Fund provides payment to qualified TikTokers based on a "variety of factors" across their content. "We want all creators to have the opportunity to earn money doing what they love and turn their passion into a livelihood," the website continues. Advertisement Read more real life stories With no limit on the number of qualified TikTokers who can join the fund, payments may increase or decrease at different times throughout one's run on the platform. Some factors affecting the funds a qualified TikToker may earn include number of authentic views per video, the amount of engagement and whether or not the work falls within the Community Guidelines. But this young mother stressed that generating an income through the platform can at times be 'really deflating.' Eager to Advertisement Most read in Fabulous She then explained: 'I am trying extremely hard to make some sort of income off TikTok so that I can take my family on holiday - nowhere expensive, not asking to go to Spain or anything like that, we literally just want a simple caravan holiday.' Eager to inform viewers about the I'm a mum-of-5 on £1.5K Universal Credit per month - people think I'm popping kids out to get 'lots of money' but I still have to use food banks - its embarrassing 'To some it might sound easy, but it is really, really difficult sometimes, especially when you have to be consistent with this content as well. 'And after all of our effort has been put into a video, more often than not, it only ends up getting a few thousand views and to some this might sound amazing, but for us creators who have just spent so many hours and so much of our time and energy, we have just earned around about 20p.' Advertisement As a result, Loula How much Universal Credit can you get? TRYING to work out how much Universal Credit you can get can be overwhelming. There are so many different elements that can affect your claim and it makes the whole process even more complicated. There are several free calculators that you can use to help you get an estimate, such as You will need: Details of all your income, such as existing benefits, tax credits, earnings from employment and your pensions, Details of your partner's income if you're married, in a civil partnership or living with someone as a couple. You will be assessed as a couple Information on any savings you have, How much you pay in council tax per year, and whether you get any discounts, reductions or exemptions, Details of your rent or mortgage payments, Employment and income information about anyone else living with you, such as grown-up children, Details about your carer's allowance if you receive it. You'll need to make sure that the information provided is as accurate as possible to get the truest estimate. Social media users react And luckily for Loula, her TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @ Social media users eagerly raced to the comments, desperate to share their support and boost Loula's clip. One person said: 'Here to support!' Advertisement Commenting so she gets paid TikTok user Another added: 'Fill this jar with love.' A third commented: 'Hope you make the target and get on holiday.' Meanwhile, someone else beamed: 'Commenting so she gets paid.' At the same time, another user gushed: 'Good luck to your family. I hope you get your holiday.' Advertisement Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club
The Verge
15-05-2025
- The Verge
Pinterest says mass account bans were caused by an ‘internal error'
Pinterest has apologized for a recent wave of 'over-enforcement' that erroneously deactivated many accounts. The platform has experienced some weird moderation issues in recent weeks, and outraged users reported their accounts had been suspended without warning or explanation. In response to many appeals, the platform cited unspecified community guideline violations. The company initially addressed ban concerns with a statement saying that it will 'continuously monitor for content that violates our Community Guidelines and accounts with violative content may be deactivated as a result.' This answer did little to soothe outrage from users who were calling for Pinterest to clarify how accounts had violated the platform's guidelines, and complained that appeals to reinstate mistakenly banned accounts were not being processed, or being rejected without explanation. On Wednesday, Pinterest issued an updated statement by responding to a support post it had published to X in July last year. 'We recently took action on violations of our content policies, but an internal error led to over-enforcement and some accounts were mistakenly deactivated,' Pinterest said on Wednesday in an updated statement attached to an old X post. 'We're sorry for the frustration this caused. We've reinstated many impacted accounts and are making improvements to respond faster when mistakes happen going forward.' Pinterest hasn't given any specific details about what the 'internal error' was, what caused it, or if it has been resolved. Some users reported that Pinterest was also deleting pins for seemingly random and inaccurate content violations, such as images of everyday objects being flagged for 'adult content,' leading to speculation that pins and accounts were being reported by an inadequately implemented AI moderation system. Pinterest has since told TechCrunch that AI moderation was not responsible for the error. Users who were mistakenly suspended in the past few weeks are starting to regain access to their accounts, according to reports on the Pinterest subreddit. Given how clumsily the company has handled the situation, however, some scorned users are in no rush to forgive the platform.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Submit your mailbag questions!
The offseason is winding down as the 2025 NFL Draft is in the rear-view mirror and free agency, for the most part, is over. Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Raiders' rookies hit the field for practice last weekend, and the veterans will join them soon as OTAs begin on Monday. That means training camp is just around the corner and will be here before you know it! We also had some other significant news last weekend as the Raiders' All-Time passing leader, Derek Carr, announced he's retiring after suffering a shoulder injury last season, and the 2025 NFL Schedule is out. So, we have plenty to talk about for this week's mailbag. Advertisement As always, anything Raiders-related is on the table and fire away with anything that's on your mind. Send your questions my way by either dropping a comment in the comments section below, tweeting at me (@MHolder95) or via email at SBPQuestions1@ I'll follow up with another column in the coming days. If you don't have a commenting account already, you'll need to create one but the steps are pretty easy and it's a seamless process. Also, we have full-time moderators to enforce the Community Guidelines. Sign up and go to the comments section. More from
