Creators Paid In Smear Campaign Against Kamala Harris

CREATOR NEWSLETTER


On Sept. 8, Semafor broke some wild news, sharing that a mysterious “network,” which operated with Zoom calls and Zelle payments, paid influencers to bolster “sexual smears” of Vice President Kamala Harris. So far, there’s no evidence clarifying what the mystery network is and who is funding it.

This smear campaign took place in July, when Democrats were vying for Harris’ presidential nomination. Along with being instructed to pedal more typical Republican talking points, the influencers were explicitly told to promote “lurid sexual jibes” aimed at Harris.

Anonymous sources told Semafor that none of the influencers in the scheme shared their identities, and instead, they joined video calls anonymously with their cameras off. The only person who was publicly identified was the one and only Long Island queen George Santos, who allegedly turned his camera on to urge the group not to pursue the “sexual allegations” and comments against Harris (you know it’s bad when even George Santos draws the line).

Creators are an inextricable part of the political landscape right now — whether it’s commentators being paid by Russian operatives to make pro-Trump content (read more about that here), entrepreneurial teens making bank with TikTok Live Harris v. Trump debates (read more about that here), or Harris inviting a bunch of creators to a meme-y New York Fashion Week event featuring a “grab them by the…” claw machine and a couch with a “property of JD Vance” sign (see here).

As we gear up for the first presidential debate between Harris and Trump tonight, creators are the pulse of what little remains of American civic engagement. These days, a meme reaches more voters than NBC’s Nightly News.


PERSONALITIES

Brandon Farris Has Figured Out YouTube



IN THE BIZ


PLATFORMS

YouTube Announces Deepfake Prevention Tools For Creators

YouTube is targeting the growing threat of AI impersonation on the platform. 

By Charlotte Colombo, Passionfruit Contributor


PLATFORMS

Roblox Announces Updated Revenue Sharing Model and Generative AI Tool For Creators

‘We’re setting the groundwork for a more expansive range of content on the platform.’

By Charlotte Colombo, Passionfruit Contributor


YOUTUBE MADE ME DO IT

Content for Creators.

News, tips, and tricks delivered to your inbox twice a week.

Newsletter Signup

Latest Newsletters

  • 📣 Elon Musk’s ‘Free Speech’ Hellscape

    📣 Elon Musk’s ‘Free Speech’ Hellscape

    CREATOR NEWSLETTER Issue #135 | May 18, 2023 Ever since billionaire Elon Musk took the reins of Twitter for a staggering $44 billion in October 2022, Twitter has transformed into a hub of chaos. It seems every week the platform makes headlines—whether its for the appointment of a new CEO, the launch of Twitter Blue,…

  • 🦸🏿Revolutionizing the World of Black Superheroes

    🦸🏿Revolutionizing the World of Black Superheroes

    CREATOR NEWSLETTER Issue #134 | May 16, 2023 Black superheroes have been around since 1947’s Lion Man, but it took until the ’90s era of Spawn and Blade before this kind of representation went mainstream. Today, thanks to the ubiquity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Black superheroes like Sam Wilson, Black Panther, and Luke Cage…

  • 🪧What Creators Can Learn From the Writers Strike

    🪧What Creators Can Learn From the Writers Strike

    CREATOR NEWSLETTER Issue #133 | May 11, 2023 For those who don’t remember the last writers’ strike in 2007, the central issue on the table—brought about by South Park, no less—was how much studios were willing to pay for “new media” content. Back when Netflix still sent you physical DVDs, and “on-demand” movie transactions were…