24-year-old TikToker Cesar Gastelum, was shot dead while livestreaming with friends outside a fast-food restaurant in Culiacan, Mexico. The city is at the centre of a gang turf war between two factions of the Sinaloa Cartel.
Published On 6 Aug 20266 Aug 2026
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A new study by Australia’s internet regulator has revealed that more than eight in 10 young Australian teens and preteens are continuing to use social media platforms despite the government’s prohibition for children under 16.
The ban came into effect in December last year.
Here is what we know about how it’s going.
Australia’s internet regulator, eSafety, said it had found that more than eight in 10 Australian under-16s are continuing to use social media despite being banned from doing so.
The report also found that most of those children aged 10 to 15 were using social media just as frequently in March as they had been before the ban came into force on December 10 last year.
“Most under-16s who had social media accounts before commencement were able to either retain them or create new ones at the three-month mark, with social media platforms’ failure to implement effective age assurance measures cited as the main reason,” eSafety said in a statement.
About half the children who retained their accounts said platforms had not checked their age, the most common reason they were able to stay on the services. Others said that their accounts listed them as aged 16 or older or that age-checking systems had incorrectly determined they were older.
Prior to the ban, nearly 86 percent of children surveyed reported using at least one age-restricted platform. Three months later, that figure remained above 81 percent, the eSafety report said.
Around 58 percent of teenagers reported using social media daily, the report found. Before the ban, the number was roughly 60 percent.
The report showed minimal change in “sports and physical activity, arts and music, spending time with friends and family, and attendance at community events”.
At the time the new rule was introduced, experts warned that enforcing it would be extremely difficult.
Joanna Orlando, a researcher in digital wellbeing and the author of Generation Connected: How to Parent in a Digital World, told Al Jazeera in December last year: “Tech-savvy teens simply use VPNs, fake birth photos for face scans, or migrate to less regulated platforms like Lemon8, or to platforms not part of the ban like video games. Enforcement is proving to be difficult in the days leading up to the ban.”
In December 2025, Australia prohibited children under 16 from using social media platforms, becoming the world’s first country to do so. Video game platforms are not included in the ban.
The government said this was prompted by increasing concerns about the effects of cyberbullying, sexual exploitation and self-harm content on the mental and physical health of children and young people.
Research commissioned by the Australian government in 2023 found four out of five children aged eight to 16 use social media, often beginning between the ages of 10 and 12. That report was led by former National Australia Bank CEO Andrew Thorburn, who recommended age restrictions.
Under the law, 10 of the biggest social media platforms face $33m in fines if they fail to take “reasonable steps” to block Australian-based users younger than 16. Such steps include using age-verification tools to determine how old users are.
As of January 16, social media companies had revoked access to about 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children in Australia, according to officials.
“We stared down everybody who said it couldn’t be done, some of the most powerful and rich companies in the world and their supporters,” Australian Communications Minister Anika Wells told reporters in January.
However, several months later, it now appears that youngsters have been able to open new accounts with relative ease.
Days after Australia’s ban took effect, Reddit, one of the 10 platforms required to block minors, lodged a challenge to the ban in the High Court, while still complying with it. The case is still ongoing.
On Saturday, Andrew Leigh, Australia’s assistant minister for productivity, competition, charities and treasury, defended the new law, arguing that the social media ban has already reshaped the “national debate” about the use of social media by children.
The ban has been “an important game changer in the conversation among parents”, Leigh said in televised remarks.
“We’ve had millions of accounts shut down,” he said.
“We never expected that this would have 100 percent compliance. We don’t get 100 percent compliance out of minimum drinking age laws, but it’s still appropriate that we have that law on the books.”
While social media has long provided easy access to unregulated and often harmful content, misinformation and hate speech, the recent explosion of AI‑generated material poses new risks to the wellbeing of children and young people, experts say.
The American Psychological Association published an advisory last year warning that generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems can amplify harmful content such as violent or sexual videos.
It also added that adolescents are less likely than adults to question the accuracy of AI-generated content. “They may also be unaware of the persuasive intent underlying an AI system’s advice or bias,” the advisory stated.
AI can also amplify pre-existing societal prejudices, according to Ayo Tometi, co-creator of the US-based antiracist movement Black Lives Matter.
Children worldwide are also worried about the misuse of AI for online child sexual exploitation and “deepfakes”, according to research by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on children’s perspectives and AI, which it published in October 2025.
Following the introduction of Australia’s landmark law, some other countries are contemplating similar bans.
In the United Kingdom, the government has announced that it also plans to introduce a ban on social media platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram from spring 2027 onward.
Messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Signal, educational tools, and e-commerce and music streaming will be excluded.
The government will announce the new regulations by the end of this year.
In November 2025, Denmark’s government said it also plans to prohibit social media platforms for children under 15, saying it had secured majority support in parliament. The ban is due to come into effect later this year.
Around the same time, Malaysia said it would ban social media accounts for people under 16 from this year.
In April, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis formally announced plans to prohibit social media access for children under 15 from January 1, 2027, subject to parliamentary approval.
Police cases, social media takedowns and online abuse have followed many who took part in India’s Cockroach Janta Party-led demonstrations that ended on July 25. Prime Minister Narendra Modi says he forgives ‘misled children’ who abused him during the protests.
Published On 1 Aug 20261 Aug 2026
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LISA Snowdon has been seen without her ring on after sparking fears that she has split from her fiancé.
After 12 years with George Smart and plans to marry, Lisa, 54, has been seen without her engagement ring.
The TV presenter was spotted going to a Pilates class in Essex this week, with her ring was noticeably absent from her left hand.
She was chatting on the phone as she made her way home while rocking gym gear and carrying a tote.
Lisa said recently that she feels like she’s in a “new chapter of her life” at 54.
Lisa has been enjoying solo travelling recently, and has failed to share snaps of George on Instagram.
She last shared a snap of George, 46, on her Instagram back in January.
Meanwhile, his own social media account is currently set to private.
Her fiancé featured regularly on Lisa’s social media before then, but he hasn’t been seen on her socials in more than six months.
When Lisa shared a gallery of pictures of herself with her friends hanging out at Wimbledon last month, George was absent again.
Some fans noticed this and one wrote: “Oh no, no George again.”
George might be taking a break from social media and there might be nothing in it – but it’s sparked concern about their relationship.
Lisa and entrepreneur George briefly dated 20 years ago and reconnected in 2014, before getting engaged in 2016.
Last year, Lisa said she was in no rush to marry George.
She told Hello!: ‘A lot of women imagine walking down the aisle.
“They imagine their flowers, their dresses, and I just have never had that vision. It’s just a contract at the end of the day.
“I don’t want everybody looking at me, which is weird because I do television and hosting.
“I’m just really relaxed and so is George. It will happen, but I just don’t know what that looks like.”
But now she seems to be moving on.
In a chat with Prima this week, Lisa said: “I’m 54 now and see this time in my life as a new chapter. It’s important to reframe ageing in a more positive way.
“It takes time for that readjustment to happen, but now I’m in this powerful place where it’s about, ‘What do I want? What do I need?”
She went on: “I don’t have children, so it’s easier for me than mums juggling teenage children, but it’s a powerful time for us to reconnect with ourselves and make big life changes. It’s the second spring.”
The 40-year-old goalkeeper made headlines around the world after starring in Cape Verde’s goalless draw with Spain.
By AFP, Reuters and The Associated Press
Published On 26 Jul 202626 Jul 2026
Cape Verde’s heroic World Cup goalkeeper, Vozinha, has reached an agreement to join Chilean club side Colo Colo.
The 40-year-old stopper, who made headlines around the world after starring in a goalless draw with Spain, will travel to Chile for a medical before being unveiled, Colo Colo’s president, Anibal Mosa, announced on Saturday.
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Vozinha became one of the most talked-about players at the World Cup with a string of remarkable saves against top teams, including defending champions Argentina.
The goalkeeper, who left Portuguese second-tier side Chaves before the summer, was voted into FIFA’s fan-selected World Cup dream team.
“Vozinha will be a Colo Colo player. In the coming days, he will travel to Chile, undergo the usual medical examinations and then be presented here at the Estadio Monumental,” Mosa said.
He added that Vozinha’s World Cup performance showed he deserved the move, while acknowledging the signing also carried marketing appeal for the Chilean side.
Colo Colo teased the signing on social media with an image appearing to show the veteran goalkeeper’s trademark curly hair.
Vozinha, whose full name is Josimar Jose Evora Dias, has also become a social media star, with help from Brazilian influencer Casimiro. The goalkeeper’s Instagram following has soared from 50,000 to nearly 30 million.
He also made headlines after revealing that his mother, Ana Candida Evora, was unable to travel to watch her son due to the cost of a bond payment for a visa to enter the US.
She was eventually granted a visa with all travel fees waived after lobbying from US House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Colo Colo, who are based in the Chilean capital Santiago, are currently top of the Liga de Primera.
They are the most successful side in Chile and the only club from the country to win the Copa Libertadores.
India’s young protesters are mocking their government. And the jokes are landing.
As thousands of demonstrators take to the streets in the Indian capital, they are waging a parallel campaign online, flooding social media with memes, parody videos and self-deprecating jokes.
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In doing so, they are also beating Narendra Modi – the powerful but image-conscious prime minister – at his own game.
Modi built his political brand through social media. Now protesters are using that same platform to mock his administration, ridicule pro-government television news coverage, transform confrontation with police into viral content and seize control of the online narrative.
The campaign has taken the protests demanding accountability and education reforms beyond the streets, broadening its reach and intensifying pressure on a government wary of appearing to yield to a rapidly growing youth movement.
The “Cockroach” movement’s digital campaign has been largely powered by humour.
Clashes with police have become viral content. Videos showed protesters joking about keeping their Strava streaks alive — a reference to the fitness tracking app used by runners — as they ran from police baton charges.
Others edited footage of themselves dodging police barricades to mimic the popular endless runner mobile game Subway Surfers.
Some women have borrowed influencer culture, posting “get ready with me” videos before marches and “fit check” posts featuring helmets, goggles and other homemade protest gear. Other protesters have created spoof videos mocking pro-government television anchors and their dramatic style of broadcasts that have labelled the protesters “anti-national” and “foreign-funded conspirators”.
Several protesters spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals from authorities.
One 25-year-old protester said the memes are more than comic relief; they are a way of coping. She sees them as a generational trait.
Unlike older generations, who learned to endure hardship, hers has little patience for “simply putting up with it,” she said.
“If our phone data runs out, we can’t even bear that. So we’re definitely not going to tolerate this,” she said, referring to Monday’s police crackdown on protesters in the capital.
The street protests erupted a month ago, fuelled by anger over a string of exam scandals, including the illegal sharing of entrance exams for the national medical programme.
Young people say the scandals have jeopardised their futures and eroded trust in the education system. They blame Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who resigned on Saturday.
But the demonstrations have expanded into wider anger over government accountability, spreading to other cities.
Much of that expansion has been driven by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a satirical group that started the movement two months ago. Through memes, humour and satire, it has given younger Indians a new way to express their frustration with the government and helped turn a single-issue campaign into a broader youth movement.
At the main protest site in New Delhi, that influence was hard to miss.
Some protesters marched in Spider-Man masks and Batman costumes, carrying tongue-in-cheek placards. Other protest signs echoed the irreverent tone of social media, with memes and pop culture references woven into the demonstrations.
One poster featuring the education minister asked: “When will AI take his job?” Another captured the movement’s spirit with the slogan: “Every joke is a [tiny] revolution.”
Some slogans and posters took on an overtly profane and risque tone. A 23-year-old student said the protesters were simply speaking the language of their generation.
“We find speeches boring, we are the summary generation. We have a habit of consuming things in a short span of time, so we are using the same ways to put our message across,” she said.
For Modi, who is entering his 13th year in office, the protests present an unusual challenge.
His image is built on strength and decisiveness, but he risks alienating young people if he responds too forcefully. Nearly half of India’s population is under 25, making young voters one of the country’s most influential electoral groups.
But the protests have broken a longstanding taboo: mocking Modi himself.
Jokes about Modi were rare during earlier protests, when his government was criticised for suppressing dissent. But now, even he has become a target of taunts.
Modi’s gestures, pauses and mannerisms have been turned into viral edits that turn his own words into political jokes.
When Modi released a late-night, selfie-style video on Thursday addressing the protesters, he promised swift legal action against those responsible for leaking academic or job exams.
But many internet users edited the clip with parody voiceovers and references to his past promises they said had gone unfulfilled.
One video went particularly viral.
Modi’s original address began with him referring to the protesters as “friends”. A parody video kept that opening, and abruptly cut to three young girls staring into the camera and responding: “No, we are not.”
A 21-year-old student said there is no better way to challenge Modi than by using social media that helped build his political brand.
“We are just answering him in his language,” he said.
MOLLY-MAE Hague showcased her flat stomach while she sported a bikini — just six weeks after giving birth.
The reality TV stunner and her boyfriend Tommy Fury welcomed son Midas, their second child, last month.
Taking to Instagram, the Love Island alum, 27, posed for mirror selfies wearing a green bikini top alongside an open white shirt and trousers.
Above one of the snaps, Molly-Mae additionally added the caption: “Mommy.”
It comes as fans branded the reality star “irresponsible” as she headed on a holiday to Greece.
She revealed her family — including Midas — were travelling to their trip away via a private plane.
One wrote: “Babies so young are vulnerable when taken on planes due to their tiny ears and the change in climate can be too much also.
“At least wait until he’s 6 months. Sorry Molly this is irresponsible.”
Another said: “Love you Molly but please stop using private jets. They’re so incredibly polluting, the next generations are inheriting this burning planet.”
A third added: “Why does it have to be in a private jet!!!!
“This is directly affecting the planet your baby will grow up to live in!”
Other comments were more positive, as one said: “Ahhh!!! So unbelievably beautiful, have the best time making special memories.”
The only thing you might have in common with a World Cup football player is posting on Instagram as soon as you’re back home from a social gathering. Or, in the case of Erling Haaland, while you’re still in the dressing room after a win.
Football’s biggest stars are giving an insider look into the World Cup, their training, and personal lives at the six-week tournament through social media, and for some of them, their following has grown by tens of millions. Their on-pitch heroics, popularity, and personal stories have led them to overnight social media stardom during the World Cup.
Of course, football icons like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Neymar have seen an exponential rise in their Instagram following as well. But the 2026 World Cup wasn’t the first rodeo for these veterans, who have an evergreen social media boom outside the tournament.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at some of the biggest social media stars from this World Cup:
The goofy, witty and relatable six-foot-five-inch (195cm) Viking has been one of the World Cup’s most loveable personalities on the pitch and online.
The 25-year-old Norwegian striker, like many Gen Z social media users, seems to be chronically online when he’s not leading his country to new World Cup heights.
From candid Snapchat stories to Instagram posts right after winning to taking a taxidermied raccoon on the plane ride home, Haaland has become a social media phenomenon this World Cup.
It’s all thanks to his authentic posting style, compared with more carefully curated accounts that PR firms manage for similar high-profile personalities.
Of Haaland’s Instagram following of more than 70 million, 29 million were added in the past 30 days, according to analytics tool Social Blade. He is projected to reach 75 million after the World Cup final and nearly 322 million by the end of the year.
One of the best feel-good stories of the tournament belongs to Vozinha, the Cape Verde goalkeeper whose heroics kept some of the world’s best teams from scoring a single goal against the island nation — all of which his mother eventually saw in person after she finally received a US visa to attend the World Cup.
He leapt, dived and executed a string of saves in Cape Verde’s tournament opener against Spain to end the match in a shock 0-0 draw. By the time he opened his Instagram a few hours later, his following surged from 500,000 to nearly five million.
It currently sits at 29.3 million followers, and the initial hype around him still stands as his posts garner millions of likes and interactions.
The 40-year-old joked how most people couldn’t even point out Cape Verde on a map before the World Cup, but his team’s standout performance in the group stages and knockout match helped change that.
Good looks, loveable personality, Golden Boot contender — is there anything Jude Bellingham isn’t great at? And a massive 50 million Instagram following, of course.
The English midfielder’s World Cup journey may have ended in disappointment earlier this week, but there’s a lot to be said about a player whose fans sing “Hey Jude” for him after leading his team to victory at previous World Cup stages before the semifinal loss.
Bellingham, 23, has gained nearly nine million followers in the past 30 days, according to Social Blade, but his online popularity spiked by three million in October, when he opened up about his struggles with mental health.
The teen sensation has been on the up and up since bursting to stardom two summers ago with Spain’s UEFA 2024 win, and his social media reflects the cool, candid, level-headed personality he carries on and off the pitch.
The 19-year-old’s Instagram feed is a mix of post-match photos, brand partnerships, multiple trophy wins and pictures with family members with whom he shares a close relationship.
His younger brother, Keyne, has become something of a celebrity at the World Cup, too, with his endearing antics as Yamal shepherds the three-year-old around the stadium pitch or watches him try — and fail — at golf.
The Barcelona striker could see his popularity gain new heights — and more Instagram followers, which currently number 49.6 million — after this Sunday’s World Cup final as Spain take on Messi’s Argentina.
Social media has already been fawning over the full-circle moment that began with a now-viral photo of Messi and Yamal in 2007 for a UNICEF fundraising shoot.
Payne’s viral moment may have come before the World Cup, but it was touching nonetheless.
The New Zealand defender’s Instagram following exploded late in May after an Argentinian influencer decided he was the least-known player at the World Cup.
Valen Scarsini, known as “elscarso” on Instagram and TikTok, made a video encouraging his audience to give the Wellington Phoenix and All Whites defender’s account likes, comments and follows.
Payne’s Instagram following grew from fewer than 5,000 before the campaign to about 5.8 million, turning the 32-year-old into one of the tournament’s most unlikely viral stars.
He even addressed the outpouring of love in a video on Instagram, and eventually met up with Scarsini at the team’s hotel in Boca Raton, Florida, ahead of the World Cup.
The latest government measure aimed at curbing digital harm comes after an under-16 social media ban was announced last month.
Published On 16 Jul 202616 Jul 2026
The United Kingdom has proposed an overnight social media curfew for older teenagers as part of the government’s latest push to protect minors from digital harm, though users will be permitted to bypass the restrictions.
The Labour administration announced the plans on Wednesday, outlining a six-hour default lockout from midnight to 6am for 16- and 17-year-olds on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
Under the proposal, highly engaging mechanisms, such as autoplay videos and infinite scrolling, would also be deactivated by default for this age group to encourage better sleep and focus.
The initiative follows a June announcement by outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who unveiled a blanket ban on social media for children under 16 slated to take effect in 2027.
While the younger cohort faces a strict prohibition on major networks, ministers chose a softer approach for older adolescents.
The UK’s restrictions reflect a rapidly growing global crackdown on young people’s social media access. Australia made waves in December by enacting a world-first ban on social media for under-16s, which its government is already looking to tighten following studies showing that many teenagers easily bypass the restrictions.
The ban, which came into force on December 10, made Australia a global test case for countries trying to curb children’s access to social media.
Defending the voluntary nature of the curfew, UK Secretary for Online Safety Kanishka Narayan rejected criticism that teenagers would simply disable the restrictions. He told Sky News that the government wanted to avoid outright bans for older teenagers, aiming instead for a “smooth slope” into adulthood.
“We want to empower our teenagers,” Narayan said, citing data from a pilot scheme and previous voluntary platform trials where more than 90 percent of teenagers kept the restrictive default settings active.
“The evidence base is clear, the motivation is very clear, and I wouldn’t do the disservice to teenagers of saying they’re all going to switch it off.”
However, political opponents and child safety advocates expressed scepticism about the policy’s efficacy.
Laura Trott, the education spokesperson for the opposition Conservative Party, dismissed the plans as illogical.
“Either they think 16- and 17-year-olds should be on social media or they don’t, but curfews they can simply switch off won’t achieve anything,” Trott said, according to the Associated Press news agency.
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, a prominent UK children’s nonprofit, welcomed the development, but warned that it was a temporary fix.
Chief executive Chris Sherwood cautioned that unless the government implements “further, stronger measures”, the policy will act only as a “sticking plaster” that fails to address the deeply addictive algorithms driving excessive screen time.
The proposals must still be formally legislated. Because they represent some of the final legislative steps of Starmer’s administration, the responsibility of implementing them is expected to fall to his anticipated successor, Andy Burnham.
TWO sisters were left stunned after they found a picture of themselves in an Airbnb they had never stayed at before.
When Aubrey Birrell and her sister Libby entered their Airbnb in San Diego, California, USA, they spotted a large photo canvas on the wall.
In a video that has now gone viral on social media, Aubrey points at the picture of their family holiday 10 years prior, showing a group of swimmers at the beach.
Stunned, she says: “That’s my dad” before then pointing out Libby and their brother Brady.
Shocked Aubrey, who posted via her TikTok account @aubsbirrell, said they found the discovery “crazy” and “unsettling”, especially because they had never stepped foot in the Airbnb before.
Her description of the video stated: “We can’t make this up….. this is the craziest thing.”
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The two sisters never learnt how the picture ended up there.
Social media users took to the comments to share their own similar experiences.
One said: “I flew to India, then travelled up the Himalayas to my old boarding school where is was teaching for the summer.
“On the first day I was looking at the school photos in the cafeteria and another lady was also looking at photos.
“We met in front of one and I said I’d gone to boarding school here 40 years ago and this was the first time I’d been back.
“She said she’d gone to boarding school here 40 years ago and was back on vacation.
“Turns out she was Cathy, my best friend in school!
“We lost touch after we left the school and hadn’t spoken since.”
Another added: “This literally happened at our rented beach house TODAY.
“I had seen this TikTok days ago and something made me look at the giant canvas hanging in the primary bath[room].
“I immediately see my daughter and her high school friend group in the pic – one of whom is with us on this trip!
“We live two hours away and have been coming to this beach for decades. CRAZY.”
Meta has rolled back its ‘Muse Image’ AI feature after widespread backlash over privacy and consent. The tool allowed users to generate AI images of people by simply ‘@ mentioning’ public Instagram accounts. The negative reaction was swift and global – forcing Meta to say it ‘missed the mark’.
Published On 11 Jul 202611 Jul 2026
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By Al Jazeera staff and AP
Published On 2 Jul 20262 Jul 2026
The penalty awarded against the Senegalese national team in the final moments of their match against Belgium on Wednesday caused widespread controversy after it led to their elimination from the Round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup, in a harsh turn of events that saw the “Lions of Teranga” go from leading 2-0 to losing 3-2.
Honduran referee Said Martinez awarded a penalty kick at the end of the second period of extra time, after a VAR review, following a challenge by Senegal’s Lamine Camara on Belgian captain Youri Tielemans, with the score tied 2-2 and the match heading towards a penalty shootout.
The “Archivo VAR” platform, which specialises in analysing refereeing decisions, said that VAR intervened excessively during the match, confirming that it was Tielemans who extended his foot in front of Camara, causing the contact.
The platform added, via its account on “X,” that the incident did not warrant VAR intervention, explaining that it was the Belgian player who forced the contact entirely, and that the situation did not amount to the clear and obvious error needed to justify the referee reviewing the decision.
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The decision triggered a wave of controversy on social media, with one fan writing: “This is 100% robbery. Senegal have been robbed. How is this a penalty? Belgium do not deserve to go through corruption.”
Sports content creator Sneako blamed the result on match ‘”rigging”.
“Rigged! Senegal should storm the pitch right now. Leave the pitch and go home. This is rigged!”
Another sports fan wrote: “I’m sorry, but this was never a penalty. Camara went to clear the ball, but it was Tielemans who got in his way. Senegal was robbed, and it should have been Belgium going out.”
Spanish sports journalist Manolo Lama commented: “They stole the Africa Cup of Nations from them, and now they’re stealing all the solidarity with Senegal at the World Cup too.”
Egyptian journalist Mohamed Saeed linked the incident to what happened in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final against Morocco, writing: “You can feel that the penalty awarded against Senegal in the final seconds was a harsh lesson and a difficult test. After the scenes from the Africa Cup of Nations final, I think that if it weren’t for the change in the rules around the withdrawal incident, this scene could have repeated itself.”
Another sports fan, Fares Ahmed, wrote that football ”teaches lessons” and the outcome brought back the memory of Senegal at the tournament in Morocco.
“They took advantage of the tournament’s vulnerable position and the host’s need to make it a success, and used that to impose their pressure,” Ahmed wrote. “Today, the scene was almost repeated against Belgium — a penalty in the final minutes, objections, and disbelief over the decision — but this time there was no threat of withdrawal, because you can’t risk penalties like that in a tournament the size of the World Cup.”
Drawing a connection between the two events, one follower wrote on “X”: “When there was a clear penalty in the Morocco final, they rebelled against the decision and tarnished the reputation of African football, just because the tournament was in Morocco. But when an unclear penalty came along that eliminated them from the World Cup, they stayed silent, because this time it was in the West.”
After the dramatic penalty was awarded, Tielemans stepped up to take it and scored successfully, netting Belgium’s third goal and capping off an unexpected comeback that eliminated the Lions of Teranga.
But back on the pitch, Senegal had the run of play for 85 minutes. The African team held a two-goal lead, and had all but secured a spot in the round of 16 at the World Cup.
Within five minutes, it crumbled and the players were feeling it.
“We were at the heart of writing the beautiful pages of the history of our football in this world,” defender Krepin Diatta said. “And we have to accept that we failed at our mission.”
Senegal midfielder Habib Diarra said. “We had a good first half, but it wasn’t enough. A match lasts 90 minutes, and we’re devastated. It’s very tough. I don’t know what to say. When you’re on the pitch, you have to give your all, and that’s not what we did. We’ve only got ourselves to blame.”
There’s this idea in social media that you’re supposed to choose a lane. Either you grow “purely organic”, patiently waiting for the algorithm to reward you, or you automate everything and turn your account into some kind of growth machine that runs without you.
In reality, nobody who actually tries to grow an account long-term sticks to either extreme.
Pure organic growth is slow enough to make you question whether anything is happening at all. Pure automation without real content is just noise with extra steps.
Most accounts that survive past the first few months end up somewhere in between, even if nobody says it out loud.
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When people hear “automation”, they still imagine spam bots or engagement farms from years ago. That’s not really what we’re talking about anymore.
Used properly, automation isn’t about replacing activity. It’s about smoothing out the worst part of it – posting something decent and watching it sit at zero for hours because the algorithm didn’t pick it up.
That initial silence is where a lot of good content dies. Not because it’s bad, but because nothing happens around it early enough.
Automation in this context is just early support. A bit of initial visibility, some signal that the post isn’t completely invisible, enough to get it into circulation instead of letting it sink immediately.
Organic-only accounts usually hit the same pattern. At the beginning, everything feels like progress. A few posts perform, you get your first audience, and there’s a sense that things are starting to move.
Then it slows down. Not dramatically, just quietly. You keep posting, improving, adjusting – but the results stay in the same range. It’s not that the content gets worse. It’s that platforms don’t scale reach in a predictable way.
That’s usually where frustration starts. Not failure, just repetition. You’re doing the same work, but the outcome doesn’t change much. And that’s a difficult place to stay in for long.
On the other side, accounts that rely only on automated promotion usually run into a different problem. They can create activity, they can push numbers, they can make a profile look alive. But without real content behind it, there’s nothing for people to actually connect to.
No point of view, consistency and reason to follow.
People notice that, even if they don’t consciously analyze it. An account can look active and still feel empty. Automation can amplify reach, but it can’t replace identity.
The more stable setups usually combine both sides. Organic content is responsible for the actual message – what the account stands for, what it’s trying to say, why it exists in the first place.
Automation supports distribution – making sure that message doesn’t get lost immediately after it’s published. They solve different problems:
Most accounts struggle because they only solve one of those properly.
There’s also a simpler factor that often gets ignored: perception. People don’t evaluate accounts in isolation. They compare them instantly to everything else in their feed.
An account with visible engagement feels more established. Not because people sit and analyze metrics, but because inactivity is noticeable.
Good content with no traction creates hesitation. Not rejection – just a pause. And on social media, hesitation is usually enough for someone to move on.
Adding early visibility reduces that friction. It makes the account feel like it already exists in circulation, not like it’s still trying to get noticed.
In practice, most teams don’t frame this as theory. They just build a workflow.
Organic content is used for messaging, storytelling, positioning. That part doesn’t change.
Promotion, including automated support, is used when something deserves more reach than it would naturally get in the first hour or two.
Some posts are left alone, some are boosted, while others are tested and dropped. It’s less about forcing outcomes and more about not letting good content disappear by default.
Services like Top4SMM are often used in that layer – not as a replacement for marketing, but as a way to stabilize visibility when organic reach is unpredictable. If you want to compare options, you can see details.
A common mistake is treating growth like a short-term push. People post more, experiment harder, try to “fix” the algorithm in a week or two – and then step back when nothing changes immediately.
What actually works is much less dramatic. Steady output. Steady distribution. No spikes needed.
When both sides are consistent, results start compounding. Slowly at first, then more noticeably over time.
There isn’t really a pure way to grow on social media anymore. Organic alone struggles with reach. Automation alone struggles with meaning.
The accounts that keep growing are the ones that combine both – content that actually says something, and distribution that makes sure it doesn’t disappear on impact.
Everything else mostly comes down to hoping for timing to behave like a strategy.
Canberra says tech platforms are still letting too many children bypass its under-16 social media ban.
Published On 27 Jun 202627 Jun 2026
Australia says it will double fines on social media companies that fail to keep children off their platforms, accusing Big Tech of dodging the spirit of its under-16 ban.
The government said on Saturday that new legislation would raise the maximum penalty for systemic breaches from 49.5 million to 99 million Australian dollars ($31m to $68m) and give the eSafety Commissioner stronger powers to force platforms to comply.
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The regulator is investigating possible breaches by Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube.
“It’s clear Big Tech are not doing enough to comply with the law – there are still too many children on social media,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
“These changes reflect the seriousness with which we take any failure by social media companies to comply.”
The ban, which came into force on December 10, made Australia a global test case for countries trying to curb children’s access to social media. The United Kingdom, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates and New Zealand are among those watching or considering similar restrictions.
But children have continued to evade the rules by using accounts registered to older people, creating fake profiles or logging in through private browsers.
A peer-reviewed evaluation published this month in the British Medical Journal found “insufficient evidence” that the ban had sharply reduced social media use among young people. Researchers surveyed more than 400 children before the measure took effect and again three months later, finding “substantial circumvention” of the rules.
The government says more than five million accounts held by under-16s have been blocked, but Communications Minister Anika Wells said platforms were still falling short.
“Based on the regular updates I receive from the eSafety Commissioner, it is clear to me that social media platforms are adopting tricks straight out of the Big Tech playbook and doing the bare minimum to get by,” Wells said.
“Social media platforms are some of the richest and most powerful companies in the world, and we’re serious about holding them to account,” she added.
The new powers would allow the eSafety Commissioner to demand documents and evidence from platforms, age-checking companies and app stores.
Platforms must show they have taken “reasonable steps” to keep under-16s out. Some use artificial intelligence to estimate ages, while users can also verify their age with a government ID.
ARIANA Grande has broken her silence after accidentally posting a photo of her bare boob on Instagram.
The We Can’t Be Friends hitmaker, 32, accidentally shared her entire bare breast with her 375 million Instagram followers earlier this week.
She uploaded an otherwise innocent photo of herself crouching down to pet a dog in an airport parking lot, as part of a photo dump.
But fans were quick to spot something about the photo that Ariana clearly overlooked.
As Ariana leaned forward to pet the dog, she rocked a red check dress with a gaping neckline.
Leaning forward, Ariana risked a major wardrobe malfunction as she revealed far more of her body than she intended.
Fans noticed the upload blunder almost instantly, with one person writing: “Uh Ariana Grande do you know you posted your boob on your Instagram?”
While someone else said: “Not Ariana accidentally posting a nip slip on Instagram.”
But Ariana did not delete the snap, instead she styled it out like the pro she is.
Taking to her Instagram stories after the dust had settled slightly, she shared a hilarious video that left fans in hysterics.
The video featured her friend Elizabeth Gillies.
In the clip, the duo can be seen in a fake party scenario.
Elizabeth is sipping champagne before casually saying to Ari: “You have great tits, they’re really beautiful.”
Ariana then replied: “Thank you.”
Fans were quick to flock to X to react to Ariana’s response.
“She’s so f**king funny omg,” said one person.
“Funny woman oh my god,” added a second.
While a third wrote: “Ariana omg.”
And a fourth said: “She really don’t give a f**k.”
DAVID and Victoria Beckham put on brave faces as they celebrated their second Father’s Day without their estranged son Brooklyn.
The pair were spotted heading to a London gastro-pub with their son Cruz, 21, and his girlfriend Jackie Apostel, 30.
David, 51, and Victoria, 52, who were cut off by Brooklyn, 27, last year were also joined by their son Romeo and David’s mum Sandra, 77.
On Father’s Day, David shared a photograph of all of their children, including daughter Harper, 14, and said: “Being a dad is my most important job… I love you all.”
Brooklyn is understood to be “furious” with his parents once more after their Father’s Day posts.
David and Victoria both marked the annual event yesterday by sharing snaps of all of their children – including Brooklyn.
He had previously instructed his parents not to tag him in online posts – something that they have continually ignored.
The feud has rumbled on for over a year with a source telling The Sun that Brooklyn has been left filled with rage following his mum and dad’s latest stunt.
An insider told The Sun: “He’s fuming about it.
“He’s asked them to leave him alone and they just keep posting him.
“It just brings the whole thing up all over again.
“He wishes they’d leave it and leave him alone.”
Brooklyn, who lives in Los Angeles with his American actress wife Nicola, 31, has been estranged from his family for over a year and has accused them of trying to “control” him.
Syrian journalist Mousa al-Omar reportedly filed a complaint about Akkad’s social media comments prior to his arrest.
British Syrian activist Hassan Akkad has been detained by security forces in Damascus, in an alleged response to his online comments criticising a prominent journalist.
Akkad, founder of the Give Us the Money That You Owe! campaign, was taken into custody on Wednesday at about 9:45pm local time (18:45 GMT) while at a cafe in the capital’s al-Malki neighbourhood, the statement said.
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His detention appears to be related to a legal complaint filed by Syrian journalist and presenter Mousa al-Omar in relation to “Hassan’s social media activities and public comments”, the campaign reported.
It added that he was summoned by the cybersecurity branch on June 4. Al Jazeera understands that Akkad is still detained.
“He later became aware that additional cases had also been filed against him, although he was not informed of the identities of the complainants,” the campaign said.
Al Jazeera reached out to the Syrian government regarding he case but has yet to receive a response regarding the activist’s arrest.
Public Prosecutor Judge Hossam Khattab confirmed that Akkad had been detained due to a search warrant being issued for him, but that the case against him had been dropped.
Al-Omar told Al Jazeera that he had instructed his lawyer to tell the police that he had dropped the case against Akkad and said he was “saddened” by what had happened.
“I am sorry for what happened to Hassan as a result of his mistakes; I followed the legal path under the cybercrime law… Everything I pledged, amounting to $700,000 in projects and cash, was paid in the donations,” he said.
Akkad’s campaign tracks financial commitments related to a public drive for donations to fund Syria’s reconstruction since the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad.
The activist reportedly criticised al-Omar on social media in recent weeks for allegedly failing to deliver on his financial pledges to the country’s rehabilitation efforts, pledges he claimed were worth thousands of dollars.
The campaign said after Akkad was summoned, he paused his online activities related to the case, to “allow the investigation and legal process to proceed”.
Akkad, a refugee and former English teacher in his late 30s, previously won BAFTA and International Emmy awards for documenting his journey from Turkiye to Europe after fleeing the Syrian civil war that began in 2011, during which he was arrested by the al-Assad’s authorities.
He eventually settled in the United Kingdom in 2015, returning to Syria after years in exile when al-Assad fled the country.
According to witness accounts cited in the statement, five plainclothes security officers entered the coffee shop where Akkad was meeting with several journalists.
Witnesses said the officers initially requested Akkad’s mobile phone before informing him that he was being arrested.
His lawyers said the arrest raises questions about whether authorities followed established legal procedures.
“No legal basis for the arrest … was presented at the time of his detention,” the statement said,
It added that since the allegations appear to be related to his online commentary, the arrest raises “broader concerns regarding the protection of freedom of expression”.
The statement further questioned the reported use of a cybersecurity law enacted during the rule of al-Assad, arguing that reliance on such legislation “appears inconsistent with the interim government’s commitments to expand protections for freedom of expression following the collapse of the previous regime”.
LOVE Island Australia’s Gabby McCarthy, the reality star with the show’s biggest ever boobs, has almost fallen out of her skin-tight dress.
The buxom lass, 22, took to Instagram to share a series of pictures from her night out as her grey and white dress struggled to contain her 34G chest.
She took pictures of herself sitting on a hotel bed as well as standing in front of a luggage trolley.
Gabby posed up a storm as her boobs glistened, thanks to the oil she put on them.
The zip on her dress went up as far as it could go as she nearly had a nip-slip.
In one snap, Gabby got on her knees on the bed as she stared seductively into the camera.
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She captioned the post: “In your dreams.”
Her followers flocked to the comments section as one gushed: “SHE THE BADDEST AND SHE KNOWS IT!!! Stunning as per Queen Gabs.”
Another person commented: “Ooh I’m obsessed.”
Somebody else said: “You are not from this Earth I swear.”
Yet another asked her: “You just get hotter?”
While a fifth added: “Actually unreal,” with love heart eyes emojis.
This isn’t the first time she’s threatened to spill out of her dress and it certainly won’t be the last.
Back in February, she left little to the imagination in a short black dress.
She posted the sizzling pic which accentuated her natural curves.
Gabby accessorised with shades, silver jewellery and knee-high boots to complete her look.
She shot to fame on the seventh series of Love Island Australia which aired last year.
She appeared as the very first bombshell on day one and immediately caused a stir with her confident personality.
The content creator was enjoying a connection with Jotham Russell but after their relationship fell apart, she decided to quit the show.
While on the show, she was accused of lying about surgery after claiming her boobs were natural.
Fans of the programme spotted old photos of her modelling trainers and lingerie and began doubting her chest was as natural as she claimed.
One person wrote on Reddit: “I thought they were natural until I saw pictures of her a few years ago being a b-c cup at best.
“Unpopular opinion, but I believe she has teardrop implants. Natural boobs jiggle and move a lot when you’re walking and running but hers are way more ‘stiff’. Her surgeon did an amazing job making them look natural though.”
Another wrote: “I admit I was searching for the truth on her boobs, only cuz she claimed they were natural. Sparked a bit of debate amongst friends.
“Hard one to call. They look fake to me and don’t believe weight gain caused them to grow.”
During her introduction video, she said: “My name is Gabby, I’m 21 years old and I’m from the Gold Coast.
“I get this question every single day of my life, my boobs are natural guys!
“If I want a guy, then I always get him. I’ve got the teeth, I’ve got the face, I’ve got the body, and I’ve got the boobs.”
AFTER quitting smoking years ago, Rachel Stevens was spotted in a rare relapse as she puffed on a cigarette on a recent trip to London.
While many a celeb has been caught giving in to their smoking urges, the image is a far cry from her “clean girl” Instagram aesthetic and carefully curated social media, and Insiders tell The Sun that the cheeky cig-break is only a glimpse of the real Rachel, who has hidden behind her S Club 7 persona for years.
One source close to the singer says: “People have always had this perception of Rachel as the ultimate girl-next-door. She’s sweet, wholesome, polite and completely drama-free, but the truth is she’s always been far more complex than that.”
“Rachel has spent years carrying the weight of an image that was created when she joined the band aged just 19, and while she appreciated the love from fans, there were times when she felt trapped by the expectations.”
Even now, at 48, Rachel’s online world remains extremely polished.
Just days ago, she was posting perfectly styled outfits, wellness content and carefully framed snapshots of her life.
Scroll through Rachel’s social media, and you’ll find plenty of evidence of the lifestyle she has built her brand around. One day she’s sharing a Pilates session, the next she’s posting from the gym lifting weights or promoting healthy meals and wellness products. Yoghurt bowls, workout routines and clean living have become as much a part of her image as the pop career that made her famous.
What she wasn’t posting about was arguably one of the biggest professional moments she has had in years.
This summer, S Club reunited to support Boyzone on the first night of their Final Farewell tour at London’s Emirates Stadium.
It marked one of the band’s most significant performances since October 2023.
Yet while many artists would have flooded their feeds with backstage snaps and promotional content, Rachel largely stayed quiet. There were a handful of Stories and a Reel, but little fanfare.
Though some fans were left questioning her excitement, for those close to Rachel, it’s entirely typical.
Our source said: “Rachel has always separated the public version of herself from her private life. She doesn’t feel the need to broadcast everything she’s doing. People assume they know her because she’s been famous for so long, but actually she’s one of the more private people in show business.”
That privacy perhaps explains why so much of Rachel’s personal life has unfolded away from public view.
For years, she was considered to be in one of show business’s most stable relationships. Her marriage to childhood sweetheart Alex Bourne appeared rock solid.
The couple had first met as teenagers before reconnecting later in life, eventually marrying and having two daughters together. Which is why their split in 2022 sent shockwaves through fans.
Following the breakdown of her marriage, Rachel began dating Dancing On Ice professional Brendyn Hatfield. They were together for three years, before calling it quits last summer.
The relationship attracted huge attention, with speculation swirling about timelines and cheating rumours that Rachel was ultimately forced to deny. According to those close to her, the experience was deeply uncomfortable.
A pal said: “Having private matters become public talking points was incredibly difficult for Rachel.
“She’s always preferred to keep her personal life out of the spotlight. The divorce came as a shock not just to fans but to people around her too because they genuinely thought the marriage would last forever.”
Yet relationship drama is far from the only challenge Rachel has faced.
Perhaps the most startling chapter of her life came years earlier when she found herself caught up in two terrifying incidents within weeks of each other. In 2009, Rachel was violently attacked during a robbery at her North London home.
The singer later recalled being ambushed by a man who grabbed her around the neck and covered her mouth.
Speaking in court years later, she admitted she was left “absolutely terrified”. Just weeks after that ordeal, she found herself caught up in another traumatic incident while having dinner with family in St John’s Wood when a gunman opened fire nearby during a gangland shooting.
The experiences left a lasting mark – Rachel later revealed she suffered PTSD, anxiety and fears around travelling alone with strangers.
The star admitted: “The two incidents that happened so close together definitely caused a lot of post-traumatic stress. After that, I felt scared to even leave my house, get out of my car, and I was just very fearful.”
It was a side of the pop star the public rarely saw. After all, while Rachel was being voted one of the sexiest women in Britain and appearing on magazine covers, privately she was battling fears few fans knew existed.
The source adds: “Everyone assumed she was confident because she was on TV and branded one of the sexiest celebrities in the world every week. But privately she could be incredibly anxious and hard on herself.”
Even Rachel’s driving ban became a talking point because it didn’t fit the image many people had of her.
The singer appeared in court after accumulating 21 penalty points from five speeding offences and attempted to avoid a ban by explaining how it would affect work commitments and family life.
Again, it surprised many because it felt so at odds with the Rachel the public thought they knew. But insiders insist that’s precisely the point.
Our source explained: “She’s made mistakes, faced challenges and dealt with consequences when things have gone wrong. The idea that she’s some squeaky-clean pop robot isn’t accurate. But neither is the suggestion that there’s some secret wild side waiting to be exposed.”
Indeed, those closest to Rachel say these photos will reveal a whole new authentic side to the pop star.
An insider added: “What people are seeing now is a woman who’s much more comfortable being herself. The smoking pictures might surprise some fans, but those who know Rachel aren’t shocked.
“She’s never claimed to be perfect, and she’s certainly never lived her life trying to be a saint.”
For years, Rachel Stevens was boxed into a role she never quite chose: the impossibly perfect girl next door. But behind the green juices has always been somebody far more human.
As one insider puts it: “The real Rachel sits somewhere in the middle. Warm, emotional, resilient, occasionally rebellious and a lot more human than the image people have projected onto her for the last 25 years.”
And if a cigarette outside a venue is finally enough to remind people of that, Rachel probably won’t lose too much sleep over it.
A viral youth satirical protest movement, the Cockroach Janta Party, has emerged following exam cancellations last month.
Published On 16 Jun 202616 Jun 2026
India has blocked the Telegram messaging app until Monday and ordered the platform to disable the editing feature on messages already posted, saying the platform has been used to “defraud candidates” and for “paper leaks” regarding upcoming national student examinations.
The restriction was issued on Tuesday under a stringent provision of the IT law, which empowers the government to block access to online sites in the interest of India’s “sovereignty and integrity”.
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Activists said the provision is used to curb free speech although Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government said it acts in compliance with the law and in the public interest.
Last month, the government cancelled a key undergraduate entrance exam for medical schools known as the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) after authorities discovered the questions had been leaked beforehand.
The leaks led to a series of student protests across the country, including the emergence of a satirical viral movement, the Cockroach Janta Party, that demanded the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The government has scheduled a new examination for Sunday.
The restrictions on Telegram were imposed “in response to the organised use of the platform by cheating rackets to defraud candidates appearing for the NEET 2026 re-examination scheduled on 21 June 2026”, the Ministry of Education’s National Testing Agency said in a statement.
Telegram has grown rapidly in India, and the country is its biggest market for downloads although WhatsApp remains the dominant messaging platform.
The government said it “regrets the inconvenience caused” due to the blocking of the application, which will affect hundreds of thousands of people, but it said it is a measure of “last resort” as earlier attempts to take down content from the platform had not produced results.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the UK will ban social media for teens under the age of 16 and impose tighter rules on gaming and livestreaming platforms, with regulations to follow by the end of the year. He says the move is aimed at protecting children, and will curb the power of big tech companies through tough online safety measures.
Published On 15 Jun 202615 Jun 2026
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COURTING controversy is nothing new to supermodel Emily Ratajkowski.
The American beauty found global fame dancing in a nude-coloured thong in the video for US singer Robin Thicke’s 2013 song Blurred Lines.
But that seems tame compared to her latest stunt — posing topless, with a glass of sparkling wine in hand, while pretending to breastfeed a plastic baby doll.
In the same shock shoot, a “lover” in boxers is pictured at her window as she nurses the doll.
But that seems tame compared to her latest stunt — posing topless, with a glass of sparkling wine in hand, while pretending to breastfeed a plastic baby doll.
Emily, 35, who has previously been linked to Harry Styles, shared the controversial images with her army of 27.9million Instagram followers.
It was to promote an explict essay she wrote, titled MotherF***er, for lifestyle and culture website The Cut.
But is this bizarre shoot — in which she has been accused of sexualising breastfeeding — an act of genius from the Gen Z favourite rumoured to be worth £6million? Or a sign her star power is waning?
Many believe the backlash is what London-born Emily had hoped for.
A source says: “She has perfected the art of turning internet outrage into a multi-million pound brand.
“For every ‘disgusted’ comment, she gets another thanking her for her honesty. The business she has built around her body and brain is astonishing. Emily is incredibly intelligent, but most people don’t see that.”
The insider adds: “Women abhor and adore her in equal measure, and most men lust after her.
“She wants to empower women, she is open about her sexual expression.
“When people tear her down, it only goes to prove her point about how she is perceived by people.”
Emily’s Instagram post from her latest photoshoot drew more than 8,000 comments within hours.
Nude images The size 6 model pouts toward the camera while pressing the toy to her 32C chest.
She wears a black leather blazer and matching trousers, heavy eye make-up, and her brunette hair has been styled as dishevelled.
One Instagram user wrote: “That photo is genuinely disturbing.”
Another said of the shot: “When art becomes awkward, uncomfortable and unnecessary.”
Others called it a “desperate cry for attention” — which echoes criticism recently faced by Emily’s close pal Sydney Sweeney.
American actress Sydney shocked viewers of US coming-of-age TV drama Euphoria when the 28-year-old’s character Cassie Howard dressed as a baby while making content for her OnlyFans account.
It seems Emily and Sydney — both regulars on “hottest woman in the world” lists — will go to extreme lengths to make headlines.
Emily’s MotherF****er essay has also proved divisive, as she reveals she turned to casual dating after her marriage to Sebastian Bear-McClard failed in 2022 following the birth of their son Sylvester.
She writes about motherhood and marriage: “It was a violent transition into a new reality of screaming baby on my aching tit and ring on my swollen finger.
“And then, in a time period that felt both instant and excruciatingly slow, my marriage collapsed. Six months after my son was born, my husband and I stopped having sex. Less than a year later, we separated.”
The divorce was finalised last year and she reveals how it changed her as she began “compulsively dating”.
But Emily, who spent the first five years of her life in London before moving to the US with her family, writes of her time before that: “I knew that boys didn’t treat girls they thought of as sluts tenderly. Boys didn’t fall in love with, want forever with, raise babies with, or take care of sluts.
“I wanted to be taken care of — desperately. I tried to be a ‘good girl’.
“Keeping my body count low was insurance. I thought it meant no one would ever cheat on me, that I’d always be loved, happy and safe.” But she adds: “None of that had turned out to be true.”
In graphic detail, she recalls dates with a man she refers to as the “elder millennial” — and performing a sex act not long after they first met.
She writes: “I’d found everything I’d come there for — a praying mantis devouring her mate.”
Sparing the blushes of the men she has previously dated — including a whirlwind romance with Brad Pitt, and US comic Pete Davidson — Emily uses pseudonyms in the essay.
She adds: “I decided to f*** my way into a new kind of woman. I wanted to destroy the Madonna, the special girl I’d worked so hard to be before an eight-pound baby had torn my vagina in two, and replace her with the whore.”
She goes on to write that, “men are turned on by motherhood”, adding: “I’d been so scared that, as a single mother, I was unlovable, used up and discarded. I soon came to find out it was quite the opposite of ‘they don’t care’. In fact, they liked it. There were many men who experienced the loneliness that comes with years of selfishness. They were particularly attracted to the idea that being a parent meant self-sacrifice was a given in my life. Did they want me as their mummy? Maybe.”
Emily was first signed as a model at age 14 but got her big break in the controversial Blurred Lines video.
She was then named as one of the world’s “hottest sex symbols” by Rolling Stone mag, and soon after announced as FHM’s “fourth sexiest woman in the world”.
Emily, who was born to an English mum and American dad, moved into acting while also modelling for the likes of Dolce & Gabbana, DKNY, Marc Jacobs and Miu Miu.
But as her fame grew, she became vocal about protecting women.
In 2016, she went to war with US photographer Jonathan Leder, who used Polaroid images of her from a shoot four years earlier in a book she claimed was a “violation”.
Emily said she believed the photos were taken for a magazine — and that she did not give consent for the pictures, which included nudes, to be used in a book.
She wrote at the time: “Five out of the now hundreds of released photos were used for what they were intended: an artful magazine shoot back in 2012.
“These photos being used without my permission is an example of exactly the opposite of what I stand for — women choosing when and how they want to share their sexuality and bodies.”
She was supported by Kim Kardashian — who similarly has turned controversy into cash.
The pair posed topless together for a selfie taken in a bathroom after Kim was reviled for posting a naked photo online.
Emily captioned the shot: “We are more than just our bodies, but that doesn’t mean we have to be shamed for them or our sexuality.”
It led to uproar on social media, as Emily became embroiled in a row with broadcaster Piers Morgan — who claimed they were undermining feminism.
Emily later hit back, explaining: “Kim said to me, ‘You know, when Lena Dunham takes her clothes off, she gets flak, but it’s also considered brave. When Justin Bieber takes his shirt off, he’s a grown-up’.
“When a woman who is sexual takes off her top, it plays into something. The whole idea is that when Kim takes a nude selfie, she’s just seeking attention. That’s not the issue. A woman can be seeking attention and also make a statement. They don’t need to be mutually exclusive.”
Emily later started writing essays that she made into a book, My Body, which became a New York Times bestseller in 2021 — and she also launched her own swimwear business, Inamorata.
The book saw Emily discuss being sexualised and exploited during her career — and allege she was sexually assaulted by singer Robin on the set of Blurred Lines.
Of the video and how it changed her life, Emily writes: “I wasn’t just famous; I was famously sexy, which, in many ways, felt gratifying.”
She adds: “I am complicit. But I also think it’s a mistake to shame a young woman for wearing a tight dress because she wants to be noticed by someone powerful.
“I don’t think we should continue to criticise women for saying, ‘This is how I can succeed and capitalise off of my image or my body’. That is an extension of the same misogyny I’ve seen so much in my life. We are all complicit.”
Those close to Emily believe she will steadfastly continue baring her soul despite the pushbacks that come her way.
A friend says: “Emily’s honesty is uncomfortable for some, but provides validation and solidarity for others.
“People will always have something to say. There’s nothing she can do about that.
“Emily’s said it herself, she doesn’t care what people think. It’s white noise. She is doing what she wants and saying what she wants. It is her truth and it is her choice to say it.”
As Emily put it: “Like any art, there’s a million ways to interpret it. All I can say is that when a woman is naked, that’s not immediately anti-feminist.
“I have no apologies for it, and I’m not ashamed at all.”
