Araw Araw
Posts
☀ Takin a peek: OnlyFans 🌙

☀ Takin a peek: OnlyFans 🌙

Welcome back to Araw Araw!

Joachim Tobias Bautista
July 03, 2024

Good morning. Happy Fourth of July to our friends in the U.S.! As America celebrates its independence with fireworks and festivities, it's hard not to admire their strong sense of national pride and identity. Here in the Philippines, we sometimes struggle with being balimbings—flip-floppers in our loyalties and opinions. But perhaps, as we watch the red, white, and blue light up the sky, we can take a page from the American playbook and embrace a more unified, proud sense of who we are as Filipinos. Let's ignite our own patriotic spark and celebrate our rich culture and history with the same fervor. 🤩🌠🌠🌟🌟✨✨

Local News

🧠 GCash Goes Genius: AI-Powered GCoach to the Rescue

By Tobias Bautista

Gif by withyoursquad on Giphy

GCash, the fintech whiz kid, is stepping up its game with AI to offer better financial products. Meet GCoach AI, your new virtual money guru. Neil Trinidad, GCash's chief marketing officer, explains that GCoach AI uses generative AI to guide users on spending, saving, and investing.

Imagine GCoach as a financial Sherlock Holmes, analyzing your spending habits and offering tips on how to save more, grow your cash, or discover new financial services. It’s all about making your financial journey smoother and smarter.

GCash is no stranger to AI; they've already been using it for GScore, their credit scoring system that helps users access loans.

With 94 million users, GCash is like the Swiss Army knife of fintech apps, letting people pay, borrow, save, invest, and even buy insurance. So, whether you're a savvy saver or a curious investor, GCash’s AI is here to make your financial life easier and more intuitive.

Tech

👁 Peeking Behind Paywalls: The Hidden Child Sexual Abuse Material on OnlyFans

By Tobias Bautista

April Opal, IG

Measuring the extent of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on OnlyFans is like trying to catch a shadow, say investigators and experts. The platform’s own stats are the only ones publicly available. While U.S.-based electronic service providers must report suspected child abuse to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), OnlyFans, based in the UK, isn’t legally required to. However, they do so voluntarily.

OnlyFans claims it promptly removes any suspected CSAM and reports it to NCMEC’s CyberTipline. In 2023, the company made 347 CyberTipline reports out of “hundreds of millions of posts.” They argue this reflects their rigorous safety measures. Often, the reported material isn’t CSAM or consists of duplicate content, they say.

But, specialists say verifying the actual amount of CSAM on OnlyFans is tricky due to the platform’s individual paywalls for its 3.2 million creators. “It’s like a paywall within a paywall,” explains Trey Amick from Magnet Forensics. Without a subscription or OnlyFans’ help, police can only access limited information from an account.

When police need assistance, OnlyFans provides necessary details, including account content and messages. NCMEC, since late 2023, has had limited access to accounts reported to its CyberTipline or tied to missing child cases. However, NCMEC doesn’t monitor content proactively.

So, while OnlyFans touts its safety measures, the full picture remains clouded behind paywalls and limited transparency.

TikTok Trends and Tales: The App that Changed it All

by Tobias Bautista

Gif by TikTokFrance on Giphy

TikTok may be facing a bumpy road ahead, but its legacy as a cultural powerhouse is already cemented.

In less than six years, TikTok has woven itself into the fabric of American consumerism, shaking up everything from food to fashion with its bite-sized videos. With roots in Beijing, TikTok's success has led Congress to pass a law to ban the app unless its parent company, ByteDance, sells its stake. The company is fighting back on First Amendment grounds, but regardless of its legal woes, TikTok’s influence remains undeniable.

Take the rise of “cold girl” and “latte” makeup looks or quirky clothing trends like “cottagecore” and “coastal grandma.” TikTok has turned simple food hacks, like “smash burger” tacos and “girl dinners,” into viral sensations, often converting views into dollars for creators and brands.

TikTok’s secret sauce? Its personalized recommendation algorithm, which connects like-minded users based on interests, not personal contacts. This has helped it outshine predecessors like Instagram and Facebook, allowing for more authentic, unfiltered content.

While TikTok faces criticism for promoting endless scrolling and unnecessary spending, it has undeniably democratized fashion, beauty, and food trends. Whether it’s reviving Birkenstocks, making cottage cheese cool again, or turning faux freckles into a must-have, TikTok has allowed everyone to be their own trendsetter.