BBavaria just shut down one of the most popular gore sites on the internet.
BWhich one?
BWatchPeopleDie. A site that streams videos of actual deaths, terrorist attacks, mass killings. Bavaria's media regulator ordered DNS blocks, so German internet providers have to cut off access.
BAnd they're framing it as protecting minors.
BThat's the official line. Same justification they used when they banned an earlier version of the site back in 2017.
BLook, I have zero sympathy for a platform that profits off snuff. But a DNS block is basically digital whack-a-mole. People who want this will just use a VPN or find a mirror.
BAnd that's the argument every time: don't bother because you can't get everyone. But Germany's actually been pretty consistent about this. They go after the content, they pressure the infrastructure.
BAnd the guy who posted about it on X described the site's 'very high quality UI.' That's the detail that stays with you. He's out here reviewing the interface of a death site.
BJake Fitzsimons. Marketing manager for the macabre.
BI will say, the forum users are already comparing notes on which German states are seeing blocks and which VPNs still work. So the ban is... effective, until it isn't.
BWhich is the whole problem. You block DNS, they add a new domain. You block the new domain, they move to a different host.
BHere's what I think is actually being said: Germany is drawing a line. It's not perfect, but it says this stuff isn't normal.
BThat's fair. And given what's on there, I'm not gonna defend its right to exist.
BRight? Some content isn't a free speech question. It's just harm.
BMeanwhile, Insider Paper is reporting North Korea got hit with a widespread internet blackout.
BAnd that's a claim we can't verify. State websites go dark in North Korea for all kinds of reasons, and there's no independent confirmation of a massive outage. It might be real, but we don't know.
BStill, if it's true, it's a rare glimpse into the most isolated network on Earth.
BAnd by rare, you mean basically impossible to confirm. That's the thing about North Korea.
BDifferent world entirely. Now, on the political side, Zach Dembo—a Kentucky candidate—posted that gas and diesel prices have skyrocketed because of the Iran situation.
BWait. Are we in a war with Iran now?
BThere's no confirmed ongoing U.S.-Iran war in our reporting. What Dembo is doing is running on the fear, not the facts.
BThat's the problem. You get a candidate saying vote for me to end a war that isn't actually happening. And gas prices—those have plenty of causes, but they're a convenient villain.
BAnd the people who retweet it don't check. It's the same energy as that 'AMERICA FIRST CHAT' post about Fuentes blaming Susie Wiles. Just noise.
BNick Fuentes blaming a former White House chief of staff. Never heard that before.
BIt's all a circular firing squad on the right. They can't even decide who's the villain.
BAnd meanwhile, actual serious stuff—like Germany's block on a death site—gets treated as a tech story, and a candidate's misinformation about a phantom war goes unchecked.
BThat's exactly my point! We spend all this time debating who 'bought' Fuentes when a guy running for office is telling voters the sky is falling over oil.
BBut is it wrong because it's a lie, or is it wrong because it's politically convenient?
BIt's wrong because it's a lie! The war claim isn't confirmed. You can't build a campaign on vibes and whispers.
BPeople do it every day, Brian. That's why we're here.
BThen call it out when it's this specific. Dembo doesn't just say 'gas is high'—he says the war caused it, and electing him ends it. That's a fantasy.
BAnd if we're being honest, the post got what it wanted. We're talking about him right now.
BGuilty as charged. But at least we're talking about the lie, not the talking point.
BThat's the job. Check the claim, keep the conversation honest.
BQuick break. When we come back, more on what people are actually posting—and what's actually true.