Dasha smirks at the camera and says in a baby voice: Hi, I missed you all. It is 11 March, a few weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine, and the blond 19-year-old Moscow-based influencer with 126,000 Instagram followers is posting to her stories. I wasnt on social media for over a week and I want to talk about my news and the news of the world, she says.
After taking a weekend trip to a friends dacha in the countryside, Dasha posts videos of her friends laughing, making pancakes or playing party games. The atmosphere is warm, the alcohol flowing. The next tile shows Dasha looking solemnly at her phone. I was constantly watching the news to understand what was going on in the world and one thought wouldnt escape my mind she writes. Next tile: Maybe I should leave Russia? in bold red letters. In smaller black text underneath, she elaborates: At least for a little bit of time, until the situation calms down and we have a better understanding. There is a question box for followers to answer: What do you think about this?
Does Dashas concern about world news extend to criticism of Putins war in Ukraine? Not exactly. Later, she clarifies for her followers that what prompted her to consider leaving Russia is the potential hit to her income now that the Russian government is blocking access to Instagram. She also worries that the military situation might mean someone called Denis, whom I take to be her boyfriend, could be conscripted into the army.
On her TikTok page she appears to briefly participate in a trend associated with nationalist messaging. In a video featuring the Soviet folk song Katyusha, Dasha writes: I hope my position is clear and adds the Russian flag and heart emojis. She later deletes the video.
Russia is home to a thriving community of influencers and content creators, who live a life of luxury compared with the average citizen. Among the most popular is Dina Saeva, 22, who has more than 7.6m followers on Instagram and 24.5m on TikTok, where she posts short dance routines to viral songs and sports an ever-changing fashion aesthetic (including dressing as a goth, an e-girl and a Kylie Jenner-esque Insta baddie). Like many of her peers, she references designer clothes, travel and her latest ad campaigns. Dinas friend Rahim Abramov became the countrys highest-paid TikTok creator in 2020. He made his name with comedy skits on Instagram, often with his grandmother, but now his reel features music, fancy cars, custom clothing and sponsored posts. Blogger Nastya Ivleeva, who also grew her platform by posting relatable, humorous videos, is a bit less flashy, though still incredibly wealthy thanks to 18.7m followers on her main Instagram profile, 8m on her personal one and 4.4m on YouTube. She hosts popular talkshows there, presents on TV, vlogs about her life and does arty campaigns with brands such as Prada.
Until Russia invaded Ukraine, it seemed nothing could get in the way of these young peoples fame. There is a huge audience for their content: 63.7% of Russians aged 16-64 use Instagram, and 46.6% are on TikTok. But as the war spills over into online spaces, the influencer landscape seems to be losing its gloss. For the last month or so, I have been following dozens of these social media accounts to get a deeper insight into the minds of young Russians. I wanted to find out about the influencers feelings on the war, the limits to their freedom of speech and how they are reacting to a deluge of sanctions and social media restrictions. How is the pervasive atmosphere of fear, denial and discontent affecting them and their young fanbase?
Russia first restricted access to Instagram on 14 March. The government decision followed a confusing week in which it appeared that Meta, the social networks parent company, was relaxing its hate-speech policies to allow posts condoning violence in response to the invasion of Ukraine. It then clarified that this applied only to posts made in Ukraine. A week earlier, TikTok had suspended livestreaming and the uploading of new content to its service in Russia while it reviewed the safety implications of the countrys new fake news law. The legislation can result in up to 15 years in jail for those spreading false information about the special military operation, as Russia calls the war; or calling for sanctions. Later in March, Russia banned Instagram and Facebook altogether, citing its extremism laws and describing the platforms as carrying out extremist activities, cutting off 80m users.
When war was officially announced, views among influencers were divided. Instagram food blogger and socialite Veronika Belotserkovskaya became one of the first to be charged for her Instagram posts, which investigators said contained knowingly false information about the use of the Russian armed forces. On her feed, she posted vibrant pictures showing the blue and yellow of the Ukrainian flag, and openly mocked propaganda based on Russias pro-war Z symbol.
Others, including Ivleeva, posted a black square on their feeds with the caption No to war or called for peace. TV presenter Ivan Urgant also posted a black square to his 10m Instagram followers, with the caption: Fear and pain, no to war. That night, his late-night show on the major state-owned Channel 1 was taken off-air and hasnt returned. Urgant flew to Israel with his family, later explaining it was a holiday. Other influencers carried on posting as before, only briefly mentioning the situation. A few, such as Abramov, took a break from posting, only to start again weeks later. Still others openly supported Russia in the war, expressing patriotic sentiments in lengthy captions. Some of the most loyal came from outside the country, with Dubai-based Russian influencers such as Sonia Plotnikova writing: We will deal with all hardships! Russia is the strongest country This whole situation will bring us all together! We have become even bigger patriots.
Although restrictions on western social media platforms have undoubtedly reduced their reach, Russians who know how can still access influencer content by using virtual private network (VPN) services, which create a secure encrypted connection that hides the browsers location. And the platforms are still being used by pro-Kremlin domestic users to spread misinformation and propaganda. TikTok has been named one of the worst, thanks to its vast user base and minimal filtering of content. The proliferation of accounts in which young people speak to the camera, seemingly parroting pro-Kremlin statements, has led some to wonder if they are being paid to do so. With many identical videos, often word for word, almost like bots, they make for dystopian viewing. These younger influencers, it seems, have become a tool in Putins propaganda war, to quash unrest and political discontent.
A Vice News investigation revealed something of the workings of this coordinated campaign. A secret channel on the messaging app Telegram reportedly directs influencers on what to say, how to capture videos, which hashtags to use and even what time of day to post content. In one case, content creators were reportedly instructed to use an audio track featuring Putin calling for all ethnic groups in Russia to unite at this time of conflict. The same phrases crop up regularly, such as: The freeing operation in Ukraine is necessary and Children deserve a peaceful sky above them. A few of these videos have since been deleted.
On TikTok, videos under hashtags such as #RussianLivesMatter have hundreds of millions of views. The folk song Katyusha makes regular appearances, with videos of users juxtaposed with images of Putin, Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov or even Jesus, captioned: Who will help the Russians? or holding their Russian passports to the camera, with the caption: I hope my position is clear. Other posts use the mirror TikTok filter: on one side, the user stands under the word Russia; on the other, under Donbas, the coal-rich region on the border of eastern Ukraine where pro-Russian sentiment is high. The background track is Brother for Brother; influencers beat their chests with their fists, lip-syncing: We dont leave our own.
As recently as April, young people could be seen holding signs or showing text on their phones with Russophobia, Donbas, Hate Speech, Cancelling, Luhansk, Sanctions, Info Wars, Nationalism and Russian Lives Matter. The videos, and TikTok dances in which young people use their hands to form a Z sign, are tagged under #RLM.
Yevgeny Kuklychev, a senior fact-check editor at Newsweek magazine, who tracks Russian-language misinformation, has seen similar online behaviour in response to internal protests before, specifically in February 2021 after the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was imprisoned. This coordinated campaign extended to Instagram, Facebook and the Russian social network VKontakte. Last year was the first time we saw that among TikTokers and Telegram channels and influencers, Kuklychev says, adding that details on their operation were leaked by users who declined to take part. They shared the online job offers; either someone reached out to them, or they found an ad that offered people small payments a few dollars per video. Back then the talking points were to denigrate Navalny and his supporters, and the overall message was that people were tired of talking about protests.
Kuklychev says a disordered dispersal of online information has been the predominant strategy used by the state to quell dissent. The idea is to put so much information out there that people are confused into apathy and inaction. Another strategy digital astroturfing refers to generating pro-Kremlin messaging or events that can be amplified online. One example was the Putin rally For a World Without Nazism, held on 18 March. Viral content was made of protesters, Putins speeches and other musical performances. Youre also seeing the Z sign and schoolchildren being led outside to make that shape which means organised flash mobs. Its essentially rallying students or state workers to pseudo organic gatherings, Kuklychev explains.
Though this type of content has outraged those who see it as propaganda, users supportive of the government line will continue to interact with it and share it, no matter how obvious the staging. The aim is to polarise Russia even more and its working.
Masha (not her real name), 25, a teacher from Moscow, says the climate online has made her more conscious of how she behaves: I archived all my photos on Instagram so no one can place me anywhere. Ive tried to make my accounts as impersonal as possible. She says shes lucky to be surrounded by family and friends who are against the war, but being exposed to so much pro-war propaganda has made her realise she is living in a bubble. Looking at some of the TikTok videos, I was honestly taken aback: Ive never come across posts like this in my feeds.
She has been particularly frustrated by influencers escaping Russia and showing their patriotism from abroad. Suddenly it turns out everyone knows someone who has a visa or the necessary documentation to just leave at any moment. It feels incredibly disheartening maybe I wont get the chance to travel any more, and its rubbing salt in the wound seeing other people do it.
Katya (not her real name), 22 and from St Petersburg, senses the information war is stoking paranoia and anger among the wider population, and tearing people apart. I have a friend who was never into politics, but recently I opened her Instagram page and saw a post where she says that, now, Russians should be more unified than ever, she says. Shocked by hashtags at the end of the post saying We are for peace and We dont abandon our own, Katya sent it to a mutual friend: He was, like, this is 100% sponsored, because there are other posts like this one. While not surprised that influencers and celebrities are engaging in pro-Putin propaganda, Katya didnt expect to see people she knows doing the same: One woman published a post where her husband shaved the letter Z on the back of his head. And she put a very patriotic caption underneath.
During the final hours before the Instagram ban, Russian influencers reactions flooded my timeline. The loud and charismatic video blogger Karina Lazaryantz laughed about the platforms closure, posting a last-minute comedy sketch. She pointed out that her university degree might finally come in useful, if she has to get a new job. Fashion blogger Karina Nigay livestreamed her tears while declaring: Instagram is my life. Singer and TV presenter Olga Buzova recorded a video in which she, too, cried about losing her audience. Most posted links to their Telegram channels and VKontakte profiles in a bid to transfer their fans. That said, business as usual has become a far harder image to sell as international companies cut ties with Russia, brand deals with Prada, Hugo Boss and even Dominos Pizza disappear, and the reality of sanctions sinks in.
In the early days of the war, some influencers such as Gusein Gasanov, the YouTube star best known for his comedy and random acts of charity videos in which he rewards ordinary people for good deeds were posting guidance on how to use VPNs or what services were best on Telegram, in a desperate attempt to keep things as they were. Though clearly gutted to lose their platforms, not a single content creator I came across blamed the government for cutting access to Instagram; perhaps they were too scared to speak out.
Its depressing. I started my Instagram account 11 years ago and its 50% of my income, says Karina Istomina, a popular DJ and influencer based in Moscow, with more than 400,000 followers. She has been on the cover of Marie Claire Russia, appeared in advertorials for Swarovski crystals and Calvin Klein, and hosts a web series on mental health. Her page is also filled with photos of herself and long captions of self-help advice. Recently these have focused on the concept of radical acceptance, but she has also written about burnout and sobriety. Of course, there are people dying right now and other problems are far more outrageous, but it feels like I have lost my job. I hope we will find a way to monetise our content again after some time, she says.
Nearly a month into the ban, how are Russian influencers coping with the new social media rules? Some people are in psychotic hysteria and screaming that everything is falling apart; some are just trying to adapt to a new world. My daily routine is the same as it was, Istomina says. Friends abroad keep texting to ask if there is any food in the shops. Yes! We have food, sugar, other supplies! But everything has risen in price.
Telegram is by far the most popular app for Russian influencers looking for a new home. It can be used as a messenger app and to create channels where people can post videos, photos, voice notes and polls. Overall, the platform is a lot less visual, making it harder to sell a lifestyle or an aesthetic than on Instagram. Dina Saevas 170,000 Telegram followers pale in comparison with the millions of followers on her other accounts. Even Buzova, one of Russias biggest media personalities, hasnt been able to hit 1m on her Telegram channel, despite posting constantly, and temporarily deleting her Instagram account with more than 23m followers.
Yet Russian influencers are doing all they can to monetise themselves, pushing song promos, ads for homegrown fashion brands, promoting non-fungible tokens and other peoples channels; some are even posting get rich quick schemes on new, less regulated platforms. Saeva is hosting cash competitions on Telegram to grow her audience, while others, such as Lazaryantz, have turned to posting about western pop-culture news, memes and personal videos. No one who wants a future as a mainstream influencer in Russia is explicitly talking about the war, unless its to discuss which international brands are leaving or which countries are banning Russian nationals.
Given their relative mobility, its perhaps no surprise that some influencers have decided to skip the headache of internal social media restrictions and leave Russia altogether. Even Buzova, who since the war has repeatedly played her 2017 song My People Are Always With Me over her Instagram stories, went for a long holiday with her mother in Ras al-Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates. She posted videos of herself at the beach, enjoying camel rides and eating at expensive restaurants to entertain her followers during a difficult time. She is back now and has resumed normal output.
Initial rumours of martial law, closed borders and military conscription sent hundreds of thousands of people with anti-war views off to catch any available flights out of the country. The Kremlin denounced those who left as traitors. Among them were content creators whose material wouldnt work in a changing Russia, including Grigoriy Mastrider, who has a talkshow discussing literature, philosophy and art on his YouTube channel, which has 200,000 subscribers. Naturally, these themes veer into politics, and he has been unable to hide his criticism of Putin and the government.
Sign up to our Inside Saturday newsletter for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of the magazines biggest features, as well as a curated list of our weekly highlights.
This is not a special operation but a real war, in which many people are dying for no reason, he says in one of his videos. This war was started by a person we didnt elect, but its a situation we will all have to deal with as a consequence. From a hotel room in Turkey, Mastrider told his audience some creators are pivoting to target an international base by switching to English or having an English-language mirror account. Yes, I do have plans to work on English-speaking content, but my main focus will still be on my Russian audience, I wont abandon my country, he reassured viewers.
Where could the Russian government go next in tightening its grip on social media? Kuklychev thinks there may be more restrictions to come. Weve seen the clampdown has been gradual and the tightening of the screws incremental, which has eventually led to a complete lack of freedom. Its a boiling frog effect. The government has so far given the extremist label only to western social media platforms, not to individuals who use them. But who is to say this wont change?
That would be the worst-case scenario for social media users such as Masha, who hopes loopholes to access social media channels and news outlets via VPN wont get taken away within Russia, especially as international platforms provide an alternative stream of information about the war in Ukraine and play a major role in keeping alive any form of Russian anti-war movement. Like many young Russians, Masha feels shut off from the rest of the world but is afraid of what a more robust digital curtain could bring. Despite their usefulness for pro-Kremlin propaganda, the internal shutdowns of western social media platforms will undoubtedly affect how mainstream Russian society understands the countrys actions in Ukraine.
I ask Istomina why she didnt leave Moscow. I dont have any documents, any international bank accounts, any relatives, she says. Nobody is waiting for me anywhere, and I dont have enough money. Plus, for her, leaving would be an act of Russophobia; she doesnt want to leave the government, her family, friends or city behind. I love Moscow. Thats why I stay, because I have support here. Im not alone. But she is worried. Im against people dying and dont support bloodshed. I really want everything to be over as soon as possible.
One thing has been clear for the past month: whatever social media restrictions are introduced, Russian influencers will find a way to work around them. Says Istomina: This is a test of strength for all of us.
See the original post here:
Pro-war memes, Z symbols and blue and yellow flags: Russian influencers at war - The Guardian
- Make Money from Images, Documents and Photos Uploading - December 18th, 2016 [December 18th, 2016]
- Immortal but Damned to Hell on Earth - The Atlantic - January 29th, 2017 [January 29th, 2017]
- Hands on review: Zencastr podcast maker - The Sydney Morning Herald - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- How to keep your children safe online as it's revealed half of six-year-olds use the internet - Mirror.co.uk - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Yetunde Olasiyan: Between Having a Voice & the Need to Show Off on Social Media - Bella Naija - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- How a WiFi Pilot Program Is Helping Students in the Rio Grande Valley - KUT - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- These Shows Understand Why TV Cannot Survive Without The Internet And They're Doing Something About It - Decider - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- 10 reasons to not miss John Bender at El Club this weekend - Detroit Metro Times - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- Ideal Flatmate promises to stamp out all roommate worries - The Tech Portal - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- Five ways to ensure your kids are safe as they go 'online' - The Standard (press release) - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- How to improve your LinkedIn profile - ArabianBusiness.com - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Deal: New customers can get Google Play Music and YouTube Red free for 4 months - Android Authority (blog) - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- Breaking Down Global Silos (Part 2): Lessons Learned from Conflict - Spend Matters - February 14th, 2017 [February 14th, 2017]
- Issa Rae New Series Giants Is A Must Watch - CampusLATELY (blog) - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Fake news, who benefits? - Shelbyville Times-Gazette (blog) - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- GST beneficial for traders, says official - The Hindu - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- It's time to get tech-savvy with The Mind Lab by Unitec! - Scoop.co.nz - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- 'Being an Irish author is more of a Grimm fairytale than a Cinderella story' - Irish Times - February 17th, 2017 [February 17th, 2017]
- Barbie becomes a hologram version of herself - TechCrunch - February 18th, 2017 [February 18th, 2017]
- PLYMOUTH BUSINESS EXPANSION: MycomPETibility.com goes nationwide - Wicked Local Kingston - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- The three reasons YouTubers keep imploding, from a YouTuber - Polygon - February 22nd, 2017 [February 22nd, 2017]
- SnailBlitz 2017: Citizen Scientists Wanted - NBC Southern California - February 22nd, 2017 [February 22nd, 2017]
- Nikon D5600 Review: Hoping to Make Photo Transfers a Snap - Huffington Post - February 27th, 2017 [February 27th, 2017]
- Appealing Social Security Decisions Online - CBN News - February 28th, 2017 [February 28th, 2017]
- How to file your social security appeal online - WZZM13.com - February 28th, 2017 [February 28th, 2017]
- Meteor is OpenSignal's own speed test app - SlashGear - March 1st, 2017 [March 1st, 2017]
- Data limits are the worsthere's how to stay under yours - Popular Science - March 3rd, 2017 [March 3rd, 2017]
- Overcome problems with public cloud storage providers - TechTarget - March 3rd, 2017 [March 3rd, 2017]
- When Words Beget Blows - Outlook India - March 4th, 2017 [March 4th, 2017]
- A man with vitiligo who was called 'zebra' by bullies has defied their cruel comments by becoming a model - The Sun - March 8th, 2017 [March 8th, 2017]
- Shark Tank's Robert Herjavec coaches kids to fuel entrepreneurial spirit - VentureBeat - March 9th, 2017 [March 9th, 2017]
- Everything new in Stellaris: Utopia, one of Paradox's biggest game updates ever - PC Gamer - March 10th, 2017 [March 10th, 2017]
- IN TRANSIT: The Idol Maker - Mumbai Mirror - March 11th, 2017 [March 11th, 2017]
- Paytm to continue free uploading of money - Business Standard - March 11th, 2017 [March 11th, 2017]
- The perils and false rewards of parenting in the era of 'digi-discipline' - Minnesota Public Radio News - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- Showtime docu-series sees the 'Dark' side of tech - LA Daily News - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- Elon Musk: Australian man pens desperate letter to download his brain - NEWS.com.au - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- How Vestas Wind Systems used outsourced machine learning to transform contract management - Diginomica - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]
- Wednesday Web Artist of the Week: Eva Papamargariti - ArtSlant - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]
- Your Obsolete Brain: Life and Death in the Age of Superintelligent Machines - Digital Journal - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]
- Under Armour launches its first customisable shoes - just-style.com (subscription) - June 8th, 2017 [June 8th, 2017]
- I Don't Care What You Think, I Love My Facial Birthmark - SELF - June 9th, 2017 [June 9th, 2017]
- Cable: Where Are We Headed After This Political Meltdown? - Seeking Alpha - June 9th, 2017 [June 9th, 2017]
- Best Screen Recorders Top 10 Screen Capture Software - Gazette Review - June 10th, 2017 [June 10th, 2017]
- Nigeria just got a verified Twitter handle - TechCabal - June 12th, 2017 [June 12th, 2017]
- Just keep pinning: why your business should be on Pinterest - Cambridge Network - June 12th, 2017 [June 12th, 2017]
- Track-by-Track of Paramore's 'Riot!' Read Through Emo Teen Memories - Noisey - June 13th, 2017 [June 13th, 2017]
- Decision day for Go Forward Pine Bluff - Pine Bluff Commercial - June 13th, 2017 [June 13th, 2017]
- Addressing rape culture - News24 - June 14th, 2017 [June 14th, 2017]
- Italy's Samantha Cristoforetti Says Being a Good Astronaut is All About Teamwork - Fortune - June 16th, 2017 [June 16th, 2017]
- Google Drive will soon make it easy to Backup and Sync PCs, Macs - SlashGear - June 16th, 2017 [June 16th, 2017]
- What's worse than getting phished? Getting phished *and* sending a selfie of your Photo ID and credit card - Graham Cluley Security News - June 17th, 2017 [June 17th, 2017]
- Track Of The Day 16/6 - Maximillian - Clash Magazine - June 17th, 2017 [June 17th, 2017]
- AROUND TOWN: GOP chairman questions Ossoff's London office - MDJOnline.com - June 20th, 2017 [June 20th, 2017]
- RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY/INNOVATION: ITS Fiber brings fast connections, data center services to local business - TCPalm - June 20th, 2017 [June 20th, 2017]
- Fiberlink Internet Packages & Prices 2017 - TechJuice (press release) (blog) - June 20th, 2017 [June 20th, 2017]
- CS Editors: Creating Content - Security Sales & Integration - June 20th, 2017 [June 20th, 2017]
- How to post a GIF to Facebook - Tech Advisor (registration) - June 21st, 2017 [June 21st, 2017]
- The Living Vampire / Real Vampire FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) - HuffPost - June 21st, 2017 [June 21st, 2017]
- Facebook Is Introducing New Tools to Protect Women in India - Fortune - June 21st, 2017 [June 21st, 2017]
- Mum drops off daughter at college then sends her hilarious texts with football team - NEWS.com.au - June 22nd, 2017 [June 22nd, 2017]
- Is Chrome OS right for you? A 3-question quiz to find out - Computerworld - June 22nd, 2017 [June 22nd, 2017]
- Facebook wants to stop creeps from downloading your profile picture - TNW - June 23rd, 2017 [June 23rd, 2017]
- Action and Emotion - lareviewofbooks - June 26th, 2017 [June 26th, 2017]
- 6 ways to be more hirable and 1 that could land a job today - Deseret News - June 27th, 2017 [June 27th, 2017]
- Searching for a Career? Set up a Free Profile at AutoCareCareers.org - PR Newswire (press release) - June 27th, 2017 [June 27th, 2017]
- Industry Job Seekers Can Set Up A Free Profile At AutoCareCareers.Org - AftermarketNews.com (AMN) - June 29th, 2017 [June 29th, 2017]
- Steve Mitchell The Mind of Watercolor Blog - June 29th, 2017 [June 29th, 2017]
- How to Upload to Google Drive - Cloudwards - July 1st, 2017 [July 1st, 2017]
- Stevie Ryan, YouTube personality, found dead at home - Blasting News - July 4th, 2017 [July 4th, 2017]
- 5 tips to a delicious food photo - Orlando Sentinel - July 5th, 2017 [July 5th, 2017]
- Gordon Hayward the best Jazz wing player of all time? Not what the numbers say. - SLC Dunk - July 5th, 2017 [July 5th, 2017]
- 36 Years of Loretta's - Racer X Online - July 6th, 2017 [July 6th, 2017]
- How to Work on Your Laptop at a Coffee Shop Without Being a Jerk - Lifehacker - July 8th, 2017 [July 8th, 2017]
- There's a new most-viewed Youtube video, pushing Gangnam Style off the top spot - Buzz.ie - July 12th, 2017 [July 12th, 2017]
- How to prevent bandwidth throttling with a VPN - T3 - July 14th, 2017 [July 14th, 2017]
- Google will now let you back up your entire computer for FREE on its servers - Mirror.co.uk - July 15th, 2017 [July 15th, 2017]
- Google Drive Backup and Sync lets you backup your entire computer: Here's how it works - BGR India - July 17th, 2017 [July 17th, 2017]
- Why Mythology Still Matters: Wisdom from Game of Thrones' 'Dragonstone' - Big Think - July 17th, 2017 [July 17th, 2017]
- Mum somehow manages to convince her daughter her nipple's fallen off in hilarious text exchange - Metro - July 18th, 2017 [July 18th, 2017]