What Internet Fandoms and Communities Can Tell Us About 2025

Inevitably, much of these situations volition popular up nether the Trump administration, and I’m funny to spot if immoderate of Musk’s supporters extremity up jumping ship.

Drop-shippers

The enactment of drop-shipping—third-party sellers filling retail orders—exploded successful popularity successful the precocious 2010s, becoming a quintessential portion of online hustle culture. With the instauration of the TikTok Shop, drop-shipping has entered a renaissance of sorts, with much and much radical utilizing the app to marque quick currency that tin scale.

Placing pugnacious tariffs connected Chinese imports was 1 of Trump’s biggest economical promises this predetermination cycle. If TikTok isn’t banned travel adjacent month, Chinese tariffs could ruin the app’s drop-shipping profitability, since a bulk of the merchandise manufacturing is done overseas. What happens to the drop-shippers? Where bash they spell next?

The New Jersey Drone Hunters

Without overmuch guidance oregon accusation from the government, conspiracy theories surrounding the mystery drones supposedly hovering implicit the eastbound seaboard person gotten retired of control. Just this week, Real Housewives prima Bethenny Frankel posted a series of Instagram videos claiming to person a concealed Pentagon root who told her that the drones are searching for atomic material.

Now, I’m not claiming to cognize the information astir the drones, but I tin spot what it’s doing to radical online. For the past fewer weeks, I’ve been monitoring 1 of the largest Facebook pages dedicated to solving the mystery, and what started arsenic a spot for folks to stock their unusual sightings has devolved into hysteria. Members are accusing the mods of moving for the Feds of hiding the “truth” (whatever that is) and encouraging others to put successful iodine pills, state masks, and, of course, toilet paper.

It’s excessively aboriginal to tell, but I’d stake that these groups are introducing already affectional and agitated radical to theories they different wouldn’t judge in. Is this what the alien and UAP communities person been waiting for? Maybe! In immoderate event, don’t expect the faithful to judge thing the authorities says unless idiosyncratic lays an alien corpse down successful beforehand of photographers.

The Chatroom

For the podcast past week, we made a fewer predictions for what the caller twelvemonth volition bring. What bash you deliberation volition hap adjacent twelvemonth arsenic it relates to tech and its power implicit politics? Send your thoughts to mail@wired.com.

WIRED Reads

• Luigi Mangione Conspiracy Theories Are Going Strong: The internet’s obsession with United Healthcare CEO assassin Luigi Mangione has led thousands of radical down conspiracy mentation rabbit holes related to the crime. Mangione’s eyebrows are seemingly highly significant.
• The Top Cybersecurity Agency successful the US Is Bracing for Donald Trump: The Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy DOGE section is promising to chopped what they see to beryllium unnecessary spending. The US’s apical cybersecurity officials are hurrying to support nationalist information programs and employees from “persecution.”
• Intel Officials Warned Police That US Cities Aren’t Ready for Hostile Drones: Months earlier drone hysteria took implicit the country, the Department of Homeland Security warned instrumentality enforcement officials that the usage of illicit and weaponized drones was connected the emergence and encouraged them to hole a response.

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What Else We’re Reading

🔗 FTC Issues Rules Requiring Hotels, Ticket Sellers to Reveal ‘Junk Fees’: There’s astatine slightest 1 governmental triumph we tin each observe this vacation season. This week, the Federal Trade Commission enactment retired caller rules banning hotels and ticketing services from hiding other charges, oregon “junk fees.” (The Washington Post)

🔗 ‘It’ll Be Brutal’: Inside Trump’s Planned War connected Leakers and the Press: The Trump medication is reportedly making caller plans to spell aft the media, including much lawsuits and subpoena threats. (Rolling Stone)

🔗 Elon Musk and SpaceX Face Federal Reviews After Violations of Security Reporting Rules: The US authorities is reviewing whether Elon Musk and SpaceX person repeatedly ignored disclosure protocols protecting authorities secrets, similar withholding accusation related to meetings with overseas leaders. (The New York Times)

The Download

When the newsletter went retired past week, the past occurrence of the WIRED Politics Lab podcast hadn’t gone up. If you didn’t drawback the speech I had with Tim Marchman and David Gilbert, I urge listening to it here.

Coming retired of the election, I’m rethinking however the newsletter champion serves you all. If you person immoderate ideas oregon requests, fto maine know. Otherwise, I’m going to walk the holidays afloat logged off, truthful you won’t spot maine deed your inboxes again until January 9.

I anticipation you find clip to rest, read, and walk clip with loved ones. I’ll spot you successful the caller year. 💞

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