Latest news with #TheSquad
Fox News
4 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
AOC backs rising progressive candidate in NYC Dem primary in push to defeat frontrunner Cuomo
Progressive champion Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York is weighing in on New York City's Democratic mayoral race, with a long-expected endorsement coming less than three weeks before the city's June 24th primary. Ocasio-Cortez, the four-term lawmaker who represents a congressional district in The Bronx and Queens and New York City's most prominent leader on the left, backed state assemblyman Zohran Mamdani for mayor on Thursday. "Assemblymember Mamdani has demonstrated a real ability on the ground to put together a coalition of working-class New Yorkers that is strongest to lead the pack," Ocasio-Cortez said a statement to The New York Times, which was first to report the news. "In the final stretch of the race, we need to get very real about that." Mamdani has been rising in the most recent public opinion polls and is now a clear second to frontrunner and former New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the latest surveys. With multiple progressive candidates in the primary race, the endorsement of Mamdani by Ocasio-Cortez is seen as a move to unite fractured progressive voters towards a single candidate in an attempt to block the more moderate Cuomo from returning to power. The now-35-year-old Ocasio-Cortez made history in 2018 with her defeat of a longtime House Democrat and then grabbed national attention in the ensuing years as the most-visible member of a small but growing group of younger, diverse, progressive House members known as "The Squad." And her endorsement of Mamdani seems to fit her mold. The 33-year-old assembly member from Queens is a person of color and a democratic socialist who is originally from Uganda. "Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a once-in-a-generation leader who has led the fight for working people in Congress. In 2018, she shocked the world and transformed our politics," Mamdani said in a social media post after news of the endorsement. And he predicted, "On June 24, with @AOC's support and this movement behind us, we will do the same." Mamdani says he wants to make riding on city buses free, freeze increases in rent on rent-stabilized apartments and open city-run grocery stores. He would pay for his platform by implementing a $10 billion tax hike on businesses and the ultra-wealthy. Four years ago, New York City's progressives failed to unite behind a single candidate, which allowed now-Mayor Eric Adams, a moderate Democrat, to win the primary and eventually the general election. With his poll numbers plummeting, Adams announced in early April that he would run for re-election as an independent candidate rather than seek the Democratic Party nomination. Ocasio-Cortez's endorsement came nine days before early voting in the primary kicks off on June 14, and the morning after the first of two Democratic mayoral primary debates was held. Mamdani and many of his rivals for the nomination took aim at Cuomo during Wednesday night's combustible debate. Cuomo pushed back at Mamdani, characterizing him as too far to the left and inexperienced. Cuomo, a former three-term governor who resigned from office in 2021 amid multiple scandals, is aiming for political redemption as he works to pull off a campaign comeback.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Subordinates resisting the president is not patriotic
Guest columnist David Skidmore's May 4 piece represents a voter's viewpoint that is the polar opposite of mine. Initially he praises the work of those who opposed Donald Trump's first presidency. That opposition included public servants. Unfortunately, he said that "public servants did their jobs," when the exact opposite is true. After Trump's 2016 presidential victory, many federal government employees took it upon themselves to undermine Trump and his agenda. How dare they. In an election, we vote for the political candidate, not the government's civil servants. I always assumed that the employees of any business knew that their position on the ladder of importance wasn't such that they could just do as they pleased. Is Skidmore praising the janitor who won't sweep the floor because he doesn't like the new boss? Then Skidmore goes on to say that "Trump is attacking universities, the media, elite law firms, and the Federal Reserve." The key word here is "elite." What is the current definition of the word "elite"? 'A group of the finest and most powerful people,' sure, but does it now include "who know what is best for the rest of the world's knuckleheads"? To be honest, I also believe I know what's best for the world; does Skidmore want to live under my rules? In all honesty, the most aggravating part of Skidmore's message is his neglect to honestly show us the alternative. A Democratic presidential candidate who is entering or already in a state of dementia. A Squad that represents a small minority of United States citizens. A social agenda that would embarrass my grandparents. The Democratic Party claims to be the party of the working people. Let's be honest, the Democratic Party is the party of the non-working people, and those who still wear rose-tinted glasses. Donald C Parsons, Sioux City Make no mistake about Iowa's Republicans and their purpose in changing the state's Medicaid program. While they claim to seek to eliminate unqualified recipients and encourage people to work, there are not enough of those people in the program to reach their goal of $50 million in savings (which they intend to fork over to their wealthy supporters). In fact, they are not at all concerned with who gets their health care eliminated, as long as it amounts to a significant number. The application process will become complicated, difficult, and endlessly repetitive on purpose. Iowans who would qualify will fall by the wayside in frustration. They not only know that, they are counting on it. Even worse, some of them seem to think there is no good reason a young woman in a wheelchair can't get a job detasseling corn. Robert Runge, Des Moines As a retired school administrator, I would often remind my colleagues, and myself, that our students were always watching us and to be mindful of that so that we could continue to set an example that they might find worthy of following. After we introduced the six pillars of character (i.e., trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship) from Character Counts, we were better able to demonstrate these core values through our communication with students, families, and each other. As time has passed, we still see some individuals and groups adhere to these values; yet, sadly, some appear to be just going through the motions of repeating these values or words without incorporating them into their daily behavior on a consistent basis. One only has to read or listen to others about disagreements between groups or individuals, whether it is at the national, state, county, city, or school levels, or maybe even a family member or neighbor, to see the pillars of character appear to be unsteady as we continue to name call or point fingers at each other claiming I'm right and you're not with no end in sight. It does not have to be this way for us as adults and I was a recent witness to this. On April 25 people came from far and wide to celebrate the life of Jay Byers at his memorial service held at a packed Hoyt Sherman Place, which in case you missed it, was so thoughtfully described by Courtney Crowder's piece in the Register on April 26. If you had not had the opportunity to know Jay, he seemed like he was everywhere, always helping and spreading that special sauce with others to move onward. During the service, speaker after speaker fought back tears, while sharing stories of Jay throughout his years which many found amusing, but calming in that Jay never gave up on pursuing what was needed to make central Iowa the best it could be. When you would see Jay, conversations started out by him checking out how you were doing before the conversation turned to family. To say he was a proud husband and father would be an understatement, especially as his portrait on stage looked on smiling as both of his daughters shared, in their own way, what Dad meant to them. The response from the audience to these two examples reinforced the pillars as they continued to stand strong and even grow! For you see, for approximately 100 minutes that morning, those in the audience appeared to be on the same page. No accusations, no finger pointing, or questioning the honesty or integrity of another. In the days since, it appears sadly that we are falling back into a routine of I'm right and you're not. That morning though, the adults in attendance acted like we were one as we all shared that secret sauce that Jay was so willing to share. It's too bad the students were not able to watch, as it would have given them and us some hope. I miss my friend, but I will never forget him! Onward! Greg Robinson, Urbandale Lutheran Services in Iowa is welcoming an Afrikaner family, continuing its humanitarian mission despite refugee resettlement challenges. CEO Renee Hardman notes LSI is "navigating the waters" while serving those in need. I support LSI's stellar work with all refugees, yet I must ask our government: If we can expedite refugee status for 59 Afrikaners, why have we abandoned our Afghan allies? Nearly 900 Afghan refugees came to Iowa after the Taliban takeover in 2021. Now, as Afrikaners were welcomed to Iowa, some Afghan allies were receiving deportation notices from the Department of Homeland Security ordering them to leave the country within days. These allies risked their lives serving alongside American forces. Iowa veterans understand the terror they'd face if returned. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America works with veterans organizations, including the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, to advocate for Afghan resettlement. I urge Iowans to contact Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst and your U.S. representatives. Ask them to work with President Donald Trump to reopen refugee resettlement for Afghan allies. If we can fast-track South African families, we can honor promises to those who stood with us in Afghanistan. Michael Wilker, Decorah A recent letter by Mike Tramontina excoriates Des Moines resident and soon-to-be Berkshire Hathaway chairman Greg Abel for multiple alleged environmental and commercial offenses, the most egregious being his supposed responsibility in producing CO2 that has caused great harm to Iowans, including "derechos, tornadoes, major floods, and multi-year droughts." Well, Greg Abel has certainly accomplished many achievements within Iowa and the nation. However, Tramontina's belief that Abel should replace MidAmerican's generation facilities with a 'balanced approach of renewables, storage and conservation" is unrealistic and rather silly. One might ask how we Iowans would keep the lights on and the air conditioner running in our warmest months of the summer without the benefit of MidAmerican's base load power generation? Tim Will, Des Moines Recent trips to who knows where, which includes gravel roads, two-lane hard surface roads, and four-lane controlled access highways; I see no reason why my gas tax or other public transportation taxes should be spent on speed limit signs, as they seem to be a total waste. In an 8-mile stretch on Interstate Highway 29 with my cruise control set to 65 mph, I was passed by 17 cars. On a recent trip over a four-lane uncontrolled access highway with the cruise set at the same 65 mph, we were passed by nine cars in a 6-mile stretch. I seldom see any enforcement of the speed limits. In a recent round trip to a city 80 miles from home we never saw a single enforcement vehicle. In a 'zone with increased enforcement," a car passed me doing considerably more than the posted 65 mph limit and I saw no "increased enforcement." Then I was passed by a police car in a 55-mph zone with no siren or emergency lighting displayed. In addition, I do not comprehend hands-free enforcement of popular cellphones. I understand the reasoning behind the law; however, the automotive industry is providing a wide-screen TV on the dash of cars. Is that not a glaring distraction also? Where is the disconnect here? George Cox, Hornick I want to personally take this opportunity on behalf of myself, and I hope all Iowans, to "thank" all of our representatives in Congress who voted to codify the changing of the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. I know I can finally rest easy knowing that's done. Ronald Davidson, Clive I don't understand why Gov. Kim Reynolds doesn't trust lower-income Iowans to feed their families healthy food. Does she really think they are going to spend federal summer food money unwisely, or is this politically motivated? Either way it's demeaning. Nancy Moon, Des Moines Letter writer Donald Bohlken calls Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott a hypocrite for being a Christian pastor and pro-choice ('Real Christian pastors don't support abortion,' May 8). Well, many Christians — about 60% in many polls — are pro-choice. In support of his opinion, Bohlken cites a couple ambiguous Bible passages that have nothing to do with abortion. So God hates abortion and wants to make that clear, but in his 1,200-page moral guide, says only these things? Bohlken disregards the anti-life parts of the Bible, such as the death penalty for trivial offenses, and the numerous genocides. He doesn't mention that God drowned all humanity, including babies and pregnant women. Jesus said nothing about abortion, but lots about taking care of people. I expect that Trone Garriott will continue to promote the issues important to Iowans while showing some compassion. She is no hypocrite. Timothy Olson, West Des Moines State Sen. Sandy Salmon is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn its decision in Obergefell that affirmed the right of same-sex couples to marry. The resolution she filed with the Iowa Senate says it is "by Salmon.' In reality the resolution is plagiarized almost in its entirety from the first paragraph of Justice Clarence Thomas' dissent in Obergefell, nearly word for word. No original thoughts set forth. That, Senator, is considered stealing: one of the big ten. So, we have a Christian senator seeking to overturn a Supreme Court decision based on religion and she filed a document she plagiarized in support. You cannot make this up. Kolleen Samek, Des Moines This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Speeders run rampant on Iowa highways and streets | Letters
Daily Mail
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Outrage as 17-year-old YouTube star collaborates with OnlyFans models: Piper Rockelle, whose rise to fame was charted in chilling Netflix show, sparks fan concern after appearing in modern-day 'Playboy mansion'
Viewers around the world have been left reeling after the alleged dark side of YouTube kids' gang The Squad was exposed in a chilling Netflix docuseries - as they ponder about the fate of its main star Piper Rockelle, now 17. Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing hears from children who dropped out of the LA-based group and their mothers as they make horrific allegations of verbal and sexual abuse they suffered at the hands of Piper's 'momager' Tiffany Smith. While Smith denies all allegations against her, Piper does not speak in the documentary and has only made cryptic remarks about its release. However, she appears to maintain a good relationship with her mother and has previously defended her publicly. But as the allegations surrounding The Squad are refuelled by the documentary's release, viewers have made an uncomfortable realisation as Piper Rockelle approaches her 18th birthday. Piper, who was just eight years old when she first appeared on YouTube, has recently collaborated with the Bop House - a plush villa in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which is home to several young OnlyFans models and has been likened to a modern-day Playboy Mansion. In inflammatory clips posted to her TikTok page, Piper dances provocatively with the adult models, dressed in low cut tops and high-rise shorts, and mocks her viewers for 'crying' about the collaboration. The shocking clips, posted from a visit Piper took to the Bop House in February, have circulated online again following the release of the Netflix series - as fans express concern for the young influencer's welfare. The Netflix docuseries, which is made up of three episodes, speaks to former members of The Squad including Sophie Fergi and Corinne Areeco. After dropping out of the YouTube group to make content on their own platforms; or to leave the industry altogether, the young influencers allege Tiffany Smith, who was the mastermind behind The Squad, forced them to work around the clock and made inappropriate comments to them when they were between 12 and 15 years old. They filed a lawsuit against the momager which she settled for $1.85 million last October but has vehemently denied all the allegations in the complaint that was filed in January 2022. These included encouraging an 11-year-old girl to 'try oral sex' on Smith's then-boyfriend Hunter Hill, who also starred in Piper's staged videos as her older brother. Corinne, who left the Squad in 2019, told The Los Angeles Times that Tiffany once asked her if she'd ever performed oral sex. 'She was like, "I'll show you, just try one on Hunter,"' Corinne recalled. 'She said she was gonna pull his pants down. I was turning away and Piper was, like, "Mom, stop!"' Smith said Corrine's accusation was 'absolutely false' in a statement to the paper. In the 150-page lawsuit, Smith was also accused of rubbing one of the girls' exposed thighs and 'moving her hand toward her vagina, constantly spanking her buttocks and sticking her finger/poking her anus over clothing.' Piper's appearance in the Bop House in Florida in February has been re-circulated online in light of the Netflix documentary That same alleged victim, identified as Claire Rocksmith, claimed that Tiffany would comment on how 'big' her breasts looked and attempt to squeeze them, and that on one occasion she tried to spit in the girl's mouth. The complainants described the disgraced stage mom as a 'mean-spirited control freak' who would often make uncomfortable and unwarranted comments about their bodies. Hayden Haas, who was part of the group that sued Smith, claimed she asked him whether 'his balls have dropped yet' and 'how long is it [referring to his penis]?' Smith also allegedly told another member of Piper's 'Squad' Sophie Fergi that she 'had no boobs' and 'was so flat'. Smith reportedly instructed Sophie's mother Heather Nicholls, who styled the children, to make their clothes 's***tier' and instructed the young boys to take their shirts off and said 'sex sells'. One of the lawsuit's most disturbing claims involved the allegation that Smith would make vulgar and crude remarks in the voice of the family's dead cat Lenny, including saying things like 'I'm going to f*** you up the ass' to the minors. In a comment to the LA Times Tiffany Smith said: 'Lenny, does not talk like that to kids. 'I have no interest in kids, like, that's disgusting to me. …There was no touching, there was no sexual contact.' She also said she played physical games with the children in The Squad but maintained they were not sexual in any way. The momager explained one of the games was called Cow Eat The Corn, which involved touching another person's knee in a particular spot in a way that is ticklish. Netflix viewers were left horrified after Corrine, now 17, revealed in Bad Influence how she witnessed Tiffany mail out Piper's soiled underwear to a fan named 'Meghan' who is thought to actually be an anonymous adult male. Recalling the incident, Corinne said: 'Piper had an acting lesson, or voice lesson, and after we dropped Piper off, Tiffany was like "I have to go to the post office and drop off some things." 'She had a bag, and she pulled out what looked like Piper's underwear, and I asked her, "Why are you shipping those out?" 'And she told me that old men like to sniff them. I was confused. I was like, what is she talking about?' Tiffany has previously claimed this allegation is 'untrue'. She maintained that the plaintiffs in the lawsuit made up such allegations to try and harm her reputation. As former members of The Squad speak out against alleged mistreatment by Smith in the documentary, fans have expressed concern over her daughter Piper's career, which appears to remain managed by Smith. Some have accused Smith of 'soft launching' her 17-year-old daughter's OnlyFans career after already setting her up on a website called BrandArmy. BrandArmy allows adult users to subscribe for exclusive content from content creators, including under-18-year-olds like Piper Rockelle. However unlike OnlyFans, the platform does not allow for sexual content. Piper's BrandArmy page, which is 'parent managed' according to the bio, promises different tiers of membership ranging from $25 per month to $100 per month. Piper Platinum Plus, the most expensive tier, promises members a 'full set' of photos on the first day of every month, a free set to unlock on the user's birthday, direct messages from Piper, access to live streams and the ability to request Piper wears custom outfits. Following Piper's Bop House appearance, fellow content creators took to TikTok to express their concerns about the influencer's wellbeing. One woman, who posts under the handle YouKnowNat, accused Tiffany Smith of preparing her daughter for a career on OnlyFans when she turns 18 in August. Another creator, Kendall Kiper, referred to Piper's BrandArmy page and noted the thumbnails that appear on the different tiers of membership fans an subscribe to. Describing the outfits as 'cosplay pyjama onesies' she said: 'I don't understand how parents like this keep their children and the system fails them over and over again.' Another TikTok creator, Kennady, spoke in a clip posted before Bad Influence was released, about why she felt uncomfortable with Piper Rockelle's visit to the Bop House. She said: 'She is 17 and getting sexualised on the internet by adults. She knows this and the Bop House girls also know this.' Kennady continued to suggest Piper may join the Bop House when she turns 18. 'The content Piper has been making, it's just showing off her body,' she added. Responding to criticism at the time, Piper took to her TikTok account to mock people who expressed concern about her involvement with the Bop House. Dressed in a lacy vest top and shorts, she swished her hair and mimicked rubbing her eyes as she danced with the Bop House girls, accompanied by the caption: 'How many times are they going to cry [about] me in the Bop House.' As fans around the world express concern for Piper Rockelle while her mother Tiffany Smith continues to manage her career, the 17-year-old herself appears unfazed by the criticism directed at her. But as alleged behind-the-scenes horrors from Piper's early career are revealed, the influencer's future remains unclear.
South China Morning Post
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Meet Piper Rockelle, the kidfluencer at the heart of a new Netflix series: the 17-year-old started with pageants before moving to YouTube – but her mum Tiffany Smith has been accused of abuse
Netflix just dropped its shocking new documentary, Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing, about teen influencer Piper Rockelle and her viral friends known as The Squad – but not everyone is happy about the chilling exposé. The Squad were teen content creators who were featured on her YouTube channel. They claimed that they were 'frequently subjected to an emotionally, physically and sometimes sexually abusive environment' perpetrated by Rockelle's mother, Tiffany Smith, during filming and that they spent time and energy on the videos 'without compensation', per People. They sued Smith, and the claimants received US$1.85 million as settlement in 2024. Rockelle told USA Today, 'Honestly, I just want to move on from all of this because it's really painful to deal with every day,' adding that her 'mental health has suffered more than anyone knows'. Advertisement Referring to the accusations against her mother, she asserted, '[The rumours are] mean, untrue, and honestly all about money. My mom did not do any of those things that they said. And I'll stand by my mom to the end.' Rockelle is estranged from her father, and a YouTube video in 2022 appears to show them reuniting – but his face and identity has been obscured. The Netflix docuseries reveals that their complaints remain unchanged. Speaking to People, Smith griped that it is 'unfair to Piper, who didn't do anything wrong and now struggles with her mental health because of all the unfair scrutiny and negative attention'. Before the release of Bad Influence, Rockelle received backlash for hanging out with the adult content creator crew Bop House. So what else do we know about Piper Rockelle? She got her start with pageants Piper Rockelle got her start in child pageants and reality shows, such as Toddlers & Tiaras, which also helped launch the likes of Honey Boo Boo. Photo: @piperrockelle/Instagram
New York Times
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Kids, Inc.
The scenes leave a pit in your stomach. In Netflix's 'Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing,' two early teenagers are pressured to kiss by adults — a parent and a videographer — on camera. Hulu's 'The Devil in the Family: The Ruby Franke Story' shows the dramatic footage of Franke's 12-year-old son showing up at a neighbor's door with duct tape markings around his ankle, asking them to call police. The pair of documentaries, released this year, shine a light on the perils of child-centered online content. 'Bad Influence' examines claims of abuse and exploitation made by 11 former members of the teen YouTube collective 'The Squad' against Tiffany Smith — who ran the YouTube channel, which drew two million subscribers — and her former boyfriend Hunter Hill. Both denied the allegations, and the suit was settled for a reported $1.85 million last year. Ruby Franke, a mother of six, pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse in 2023 after denying her children adequate food and water and isolating them as she built a family YouTube channel that amassed nearly 2.5 million subscribers before it was taken down. She will serve up to 30 years in prison. Concerns about the treatment of child entertainers have abounded since the days of Judy Garland and through last year's 'Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV,' in which former Nickelodeon actors described performing under harmful and sexually inappropriate conditions. Less examined is the working world of child influencers, who are now speaking out about the harsh, unsafe or emotionally taxing constraints of being broadcast by their parents. Viewers may be tempted to ask, 'Aren't there laws against this?' 'We have pretty documented evidence of the troubling pipeline for Hollywood and child actors, but we don't have nearly similar numbers for child influencers, primarily because the phenomenon of influencing is so young,' said Chris McCarty, the founder and executive director of Quit Clicking Kids, an organization dedicated to stopping the monetization of minors. 'A lot of the kids are too young to even really fully understand what's going on, let alone, like, actually speak out about their experiences.' Child entertainer laws — which in some cases make provisions for minors' education, set limits on working hours and stipulate that earnings be placed in a trust — regulate theatrical industries. The world of content creators, where an account with a sizable following can generate millions of dollars a year for creators, is largely unregulated. McCarty worked with the California legislature to draft an amendment to the Coogan Law, legislation passed in 1939 that requires employers to set aside 15 percent of a child actor's earnings in a trust. In September 2024, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California signed Senate Bill 764, mandating that creators who feature children in 30 percent or more of their content set aside a proportioned percentage of their earnings into a trust for the child to access when they turn 18. The law went into effect this year and made California the third state (along with Illinois and Minnesota) to adopt financial protections for children featured in social media content. Some notable family vloggers uprooted from California for Tennessee in the immediate aftermath. The LaBrant family, whose YouTube (12.8 million subscribers) and TikTok content (the mother, Savannah, has 30.3 million followers) mainly revolves around their five young children, explained their move to Nashville in a post, saying 'We truly feel like this is where God is calling our family.' Brittany Xavier, a prominent TikTok creator with over 3 million followers whose content mostly showcases her three children, attributed her move to Nashville to finding mold in her family's California rental house. They did not respond to requests for comment, nor did they cite the new law as the reason for their departures, but commenters on their videos and on Reddit have speculated about whether the new legislation contributed to their moves. The amendment to the Coogan Law could be a starting point to more regulation. 'The law can also be expanded to make sure that kids have boundaries on their working hours and protections in terms of being guaranteed education,' said Mary Jean Amon, an assistant professor at Indiana University who specializes in research on parental sharing and beliefs about autonomy and consent. That might prove difficult given the lack of boundaries between work and home for child influencers. In 'The Devil in the Family,' the Franke children protested rarely having any time off from making content — outtakes from their vlogs showed one of the family's sons, Chad, who is now 20, being told to answer with more enthusiasm when he was tired and didn't want to be on camera. 'It felt more like a set than a house,' Shari Franke, 22, says in one scene in the documentary. 'For kid influencers, those cameras are ubiquitous since most of the adults around them will have one in hand at virtually all times,' Amon said. 'Rather than playing characters, child influencers are observed as themselves, while also being heavily rewarded for pandering to the desires of strangers, and sometimes they're punished for failing to do so.' Those follower-strangers represent a danger far more difficult to address. Deja Smith, a stay-at-home mother from the Houston area, creates lifestyle videos for Instagram and TikTok, where she has a following of about 140,000. She shared details and images of her newborn daughter for most of the first year of her life until strangers started recognizing her child in public and leaving upsetting comments on social media. After reading more about the ways users can manipulate children's images through artificial intelligence and search for personal information like an address through photos, she wiped images of her daughter from the internet altogether. 'I honestly feel uncomfortable watching other family vloggers' accounts that are centered around their kid,' Smith said. 'I'm not interested, and I block because I don't want to be a part of that or supporting that kind of content.'
