Latest news with #HasanPiker
New York Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Twitch streamer Hasan Piker is pushing Gen Z boys to the extreme left with twisted views on Israel, 9/11
The moral panic about Andrew Tate and his influence on young men has been massive — but what about the leftist, socialist and arguably antisemitic mega-streamer influencing millions of predominantly young male followers? Hasan Piker, known to his 2.9 million Twitch followers as HasanAbi, appeals to the same 'bro' demographic as stereotypical right-leaning manosphere influencers — popping nicotine pouches, gaming on livestream and hitting up the gym as well as gun ranges — but he sells a very different ideology. The 33-year-old New Jersey born streamer, who recently showed up at anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles in a bulletproof vest, has self-described as leftist, socialist and anti-capitalist. He holds enormous cultural sway with the Zoomers who flock to Twitch, a platform with more users in the 16- to 24-year-old demo than any other. Advertisement 8 Hasan Piker has more than 7 million followers across Twitch, X, Instagram, and YouTube. AP Parents should have their eye on Piker, who has told his 7.3 million followers across platforms — multiple times — that America 'deserved 9/11' and that Jews are 'inbred.' He is truly indefatigable and on Twitch for seven, eight, nine hours day, at least six days a week. As of June 18, Piker's only taken two days off since the month started, and streamed more than 10 hours on June 8. Advertisement Set up at his home monitor, the streamer flips through news clips and articles, from Al Jazeera to Fox News, and occasionally films himself gaming or giving dating advice. He will usually rack up more than a million views over the course of a stream. 8 Piker has said that America 'deserved 9/11' and that Jews are 'inbred.' Instagram/@hasandpiker Piker's stamina is matched only by that of his fans, who flood the comments at breakneck speed. 'May Allah awaken President Xi and allow him to see the evil doing of Israel and the United States,' one commenter said on a recent stream. Another chimed in when Piker showed a clip from Fox News: 'In a just world Fox News in its entirety would be lined up in the Hague for these lies and propaganda.' Advertisement Even after Piker logs off his hours-long video feed, the messages keep pouring in. In a recent livestream discussing Israel's conflict with Iran, he called Israel 'the giant baby nation with nuclear arms' and said its 'existence is a great shame and a serious stain.' 8 Hasan Piker suggested that the May Israeli Embassy shooting could have been a false flag operation. YouTube/HasanAbi Piker also suggested the May 21 Capital Jewish Museum shooting in DC, which left two young Israeli embassy staffers dead, was a 'false flag operation.' 'Every single thing that [accused shooter Elias Rodriguez] did in the aftermath of the shooting is so f–king crazy that it's like, you could not have designed a f–king incident like this,' he said on his livestream. Advertisement Major political figures on the left are clamoring to sit down with him. 8 Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez appeared on Piker's livestream in March. HasanAbi/YouTube Pike got both AOC and Bernie Sanders on camera for an interview together in March, during which he gifted Rep. Ocasio-Cortez a booklet on the pro-Palestinian solidarity movement in Japan. In a recent interview with NYC democratic socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, the pair discussed government-run housing and supermarkets, free public transport and criminal justice reform. 'I want Austrian style, Red Vienna, 65% of the entire city is just peppered with government housing, that's what I want,' Piker said as they bonded over donuts. 8 Piker interviewed Zohran Mamdani, NYC's democratic socialist mayoral candidate. HasanAbi/YouTube 'Let's talk about the unheard minority, the marginalized, people of wealth — POW — I feel like they're getting a hard bargain here with you,' Piker joked. 'Meritocracy, obviously real, Elon Musk worked the smartest and the hardest. Why do you hate the successful, wealthy people?' Meanwhile, Piker drives a $200,000 Porsche Taycan and lives in a nearly $3 million, 3,800 square foot West Hollywood home. Advertisement He was launched into popular consciousness via a strange and somewhat eroticized New York Times profile in April, with the headline 'A Progressive Mind in a MAGA Body.' 8 Piker owns an airsoft gun and occasionally posts photos from gun ranges. Instagram/@hasandpiker 'Mr. Piker's success on camera, in some part, has been aided by the fact that he is, by conventional standards, a very handsome man,' the profile fawned. 'He is 6 feet 4 inches tall and built like a professional athlete, with a square jaw, a beard and a head of thick dark hair.' While parents should laugh off the drooling, they'd be remiss to dismiss Piker's influence on young men who see him as aspirational. Advertisement He's a different kind of male role model than popular-right wing influencers — the sort who tells reporters at pro-Palestine rallies that 'a strong man protects those who can't protect themselves' and whose fans search desperately for a workout routine to achieve his physique. 8 Young male followers praise Piker (right) for his physique, which has inspired some to seek out his workout routine. @hasandpiker/Instagram There's a simplistic narrative that young men are moving to the right politically while young women are going to the left. While this might be more true of Gen Z than with prior generations, the fact of the matter is, kids are liable to go down any number of online rabbit holes. I know this as a Zoomer who grew up with YouTube and, as a tween and young teen, was led to the right and to the left at various times by algorithmic feedback loops. Piker's socialism isn't exactly fringe in Gen Z. A 2022 Pew poll found more 18- to 29-year-olds had a positive view of socialism (44%) than capitalism (40%), and a 2024 YouGov survey found 25% of that same age group had a positive view of communism. Advertisement 8 Piker streams up to 10 hours a day, at least six days a week, on Twitch. Instagram/@hasandpiker It's easier today than ever for a kid who's learning about the world to attach to a couple online voices — whether Andrew Tate or Hasan Piker — as portals to the outside world they're desperate to make sense of. While the mainstream media has its panties in a bunch over influencers turning young men conservative, they're writing fawning puff pieces about the radical left-wing streamers pushing youth to the opposite extreme. We should be equally concerned about kids getting radicalized in any direction — and all play our part in modeling skepticism, critical thinking and media literacy for a generation growing up in the internet age.
Gizmodo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Gizmodo
As Trump Comes for Your Social Media, It's Time You Consider What's Worth Sharing
Agents of the Trump administration are increasingly using social media posts to crack down on immigrants, tourists, and even some U.S. citizens. Last month, a leaked document showed the State Department had crafted a new standard for reviewing the social media accounts of any foreign students planning to attend or even visit Harvard University. Legal immigrants may have benefits denied based on social media activity, and people expressing opinions or acting contrary to Trump are being detained at airports. Whether you're a U.S. citizen or not, it's time you reexamine how much of yourself you're willing to show publicly online. Amid the ongoing travel turmoil that's made several countries institute warnings to foreign citizens planning trips to the U.S., I was looking for ways to make it more difficult for governments to use my social posts against me. That's when I was invited to use Block Party. It's not, by its nature, a politically charged app. With a $25 annual subscription, Block Party uses a browser plugin to help rein in your privacy settings on your various social media accounts with a simple checklist and easy-to-follow, step-by-step guides. Privatizing your social media accounts helps keep big tech from building data profiles based on your activity, which it then uses for targeted advertising, but it may not be enough to completely deter a visit from Customs and Border Protection as you muscle through airport security after coming to the States. [Editor's note: Getting thrown into another bin for targeted advertising isn't great either, but it's better than getting thrown into Guantanamo.] At the very least, it may make the jobs of federal agencies—or anybody looking for dirt on you based on your online activity—a little harder. For the time being, that might be enough to help you avoid being held up by U.S. officials for hours in an airport. Trump Widens the Targets of Social Media Scrutiny You can simply delete your profiles, but as somebody who still needs to remain active on social media, Block Party is one of the better options I've personally used to get into the weeds of my accounts' esoteric privacy settings. It even helps you find settings in some apps to keep AI from scraping your posts. Still, changing all your settings may not be enough to avoid all scrutiny. According to a Politico report on the leaked State Department document, the U.S. government imagines foreign students' lack of a social presence or privatized social media 'may be reflective of evasiveness and call into question the applicant's credibility.' The Trump administration may ascribe this same standard to U.S. citizens. Already, there are concerning examples of agents targeting supposed Trump opponents. Left-wing influencer Hasan Piker said in May that he was detained and questioned for hours by Homeland Security after he came back to Chicago from France. In April, immigration agents detained Michigan-based attorney Amir Makled at an airport for more than an hour as he returned home from the Dominican Republic. The attorney was representing Columbia University students who had protested against the war in Palestine. Makled said feds requested he hand over his phone, and after 90 minutes of questioning, he eventually complied. The situation is growing more constrained for non-citizens traveling to the U.S. Every individual has to decide for themselves what precautions they need to take when traveling as a citizen or non-citizen alike. Sophia Cope, the senior staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, told Gizmodo it's not an easy decision, and some people planning to visit the U.S. may be better off choosing a different destination. However, despite U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's proclamation that privatizing social media was somehow an indication of 'evasiveness,' it's still a good idea to privatize your socials before crossing the border to the U.S. And it's not just protesters who need to think long and hard about what thoughts of theirs are shared online. Nonprofit and government staff now have to consider whether their public presence necessitates drastic culling of their online profiles. 'We've definitely been seeing an uptick in interest given the activities of the government recently,' Tracy Chou, the founder and CEO of Block Party, told Gizmodo in a video interview. After Trump's inauguration, she said she's received interest from both current and former government workers from multiple federal agencies, afraid their previously innocuous social media posts could be used as ammunition for right-wing groups. Government workers weren't just trying to avoid the eyes of Trump and DOGE. Chou gave an example of people who worked in the Department of Justice's civil rights division who were trying to avoid attacks from right-wing groups online. Some Apps Make It Easier to Avoid Social Media Scrutiny You can find a loose gaggle of tutorials online for turning on social media privacy settings, but even an experienced user will be surprised by just how many settings there are to limit. You may also want to look into subscriptions such as DeleteMe or Kanary, which work to eliminate information data brokers have on you and remove data from some websites. Block Party is more concerned with restricting the data big tech companies can garner from your social accounts. Privacy settings for most apps are arcane—often deliberately so—and even if you're trying to privatize an account, you can still miss something. Block Party currently works with X, LinkedIn, Facebook, Venmo, Instagram, Reddit, Strava, YouTube, Bluesky, and Google. Additionally, Block Party will only impact the mobile versions of TikTok and Snapchat. Chou said her team is planning to support more apps in the future. The app operates as a browser plugin that offers a checklist for your social accounts. Some settings can be done for you with the tap of a button, but various settings will take some attention on your part. On LinkedIn, Block Party can automatically turn off settings to 'represent company,' a sneaky setting used for sponsored ads about your employer. If I want to change the number of apps connected to my YouTube account, I have to click a link through the app and disable them manually, then mark the task as 'done.' Even using Block Party, the process of tuning all your socials is time-consuming. After you're done, you may realize how many features of these apps depend on your private data. Block Party recommends you change YouTube settings to limit viewing history. Suddenly, I can't see which videos I've watched, making it harder to return to a YouTube essay I paused before going to sleep. This is the trade-off for privacy. You simply won't be able to use your apps in the same ways you used to. There Is No Panacea for Privacy Nina Jankowicz, the cofounder of The American Sunlight Project, which advocates against online disinformation, said she has started to advise people to lock down their social media not just for the sake of avoiding targeted ads, but to keep from being targeted by the government. She said she offers Block Party free to staff, but even that may not be enough in this age, where her activities as an advocate are receiving more and more scrutiny. Jankowicz said she started bringing a burner cell phone when she travels through and to the U.S. Beyond massaging your social accounts, travelers need to start considering device security. Turning off biometric log-in when you travel is a good start, as experts say law enforcement has less legal liability to unlock your device if they flash your Face ID at your mug. You should avoid saving WhatsApp or Messenger chats to the cloud in case government agents manage to bypass phone security. VPNs, which help hide your IP address and keep you anonymous when online, are also good to have on hand. The fact of the matter is, U.S. officials have the legal ability to detain people at the airport, but as Cope stressed, the U.S. is not legally allowed to keep citizens from entering the U.S. without probable cause. Non-violent political opinions posted to social media still don't meet grounds for an arrest just because Trump is in office. At the same time, Trump's administration has continued to ignore court decrees, and his flaunting of the law may turn on American citizens as well. For now, it's best you know your rights. Refusing to hand over a phone to officers could delay you, but you're only legally required to establish your identity, not to share your phone with anybody. Again, knowing your rights can still lead to delays. 'If there's anything remotely controversial, I would delete that post, privatize the account, or even shut down the account,' Cope said. 'I want to emphasize again it's each individual person's choice, but I think for me, I'd rather not have the government have this particular data point or set of data points about me.' The U.S. already knows what kind of chilling effect this abuse of social media has had on protest efforts. When I asked Jankowicz whether privatizing your social media can make it harder to organize, she responded bluntly: 'Yes.' 'Researchers are a lot more reticent to be on things like Signal group chats or on email chains and message boards,' she said. 'The toll it takes on attempting to muster a collaborative response on anything that's happening to the community is really difficult.' Privatizing your social media can't be a panacea for your travel anxieties, especially if you still want to use these apps to communicate with friends or organize for causes you care about. The best it can do is make a government operator's job harder, and since there are so many accounts to monitor, you may slip through the dragnet. As time goes on, Trump will rely more on technology from firms like Palantir to compile a wider database on every citizen based on government data, according to a recent report from The New York Times. Whether you use apps like DeleteMe and Block Party in tandem or you go out and prune your posts and public persona, get ready for a far more constrained online existence.
The Independent
10-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
‘That f***ed my hair up': Twitch streamer Hasan Piker stunned by flashbang in LA riots
Twitch streamer Hasan Piker was caught up in the Los Angeles riots, with footage capturing the moment he was disoriented by loud flashbangs. Piker, who lives in LA and is known for posting YouTube videos under the moniker 'HasanAbi', was interrogated by border agents last month upon returning from overseas over his anti-Trump political views. On Monday, photos and footage of him attending the protests were shared on social media. 'They're firing into the crowd now. I don't think that's fireworks, buddy,' Piker is heard saying as he streamed from the scene. 'They're already deploying flashbangs. Not great. Look, what they're going to try and do is close down the other side of the road,' he said while standing in a throng of protestors on a highway underneath a bridge. 'I think they're going to push in from this side of the road. Oh ****, oh *****. That *f***ed my hair up,' he adds as loud bangs are heard. Piker continues to walk through the crowd, as the loud bangs continue and fans are seen approaching him to shake his hand and take selfies. The riots erupted on Friday after federal immigration officers arrested large groups of undocumented immigrants in areas of the city with large Latino populations. What began as a peaceful protest has since escalated with dozens of arrests and reports of looting. President Donald Trump responded to the riots by deploying 2,000 National Guard troops to the city, followed by 700 marines on Monday. California Governor Gavin Newsom slammed his decision, calling it 'reckless' and 'pointless,' claiming that only a few hundred of the original Guard troops have been deployed, despite the president's insistence that thousands are there. Newsom has said that California will sue the government for its deployment of the National Guard to quell the protests. 'Donald Trump has created the conditions you see on your TV tonight. He's exacerbated the conditions. He's, you know, lit the proverbial match. 'He's putting fuel on this fire, ever since he announced he was taking over the National Guard — an illegal act, an immoral act, an unconstitutional act,' Newsom said on MSNBC Sunday evening.
The Verge
09-06-2025
- Politics
- The Verge
The National Guard arrived in Los Angeles earlier today in a move that
Adi Robertson A few places to follow the LA protests. hasn't been seen since 1965, and protests are stretching into the evening. There's a Bluesky starter pack of LA-based independent journalists providing text and photo updates, plus news outlets and streamer Hasan Piker live on the ground. And demonstrations in several cities are planned for tomorrow, pushing for the release of union leader David Huerta, arrested during the recent aggressive ICE raids.
Metro
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Metro
Have you got nudes? What tourists need to know before going on holiday to the US
Thinking of visiting the US? You might want to delete the nudes on your camera roll before you go — that's if you don't want a border control officer looking at them, anyway. Under Trump's recent 'enhanced vetting' executive order, travellers are being reminded that border agents can – and do – search phones and laptops. Scrutiny is ramping up big time at the US border, with some being denied entry and even detained due to their digital content. On Wednesday, the US president resurrected a controversial travel ban from his first term in the White House: a proclamation that bans citizens of 12 countries from entering the United States. It's not something any of us want to think about before a holiday, but if you are stopped by a border agent, what are your rights? And do you have to hand your phone over? Metro asked the experts. Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration. Sign up here. Yes, and they don't need a warrant to do so. CBP agents have the legal authority to search electronic devices at the border: that's phones, laptops and tablets. This includes reviewing text messages, social media activity, photos, emails and even your browser history. In March, an unnamed French scientist was denied entry to the States after airport immigration officers searched his phone and found messages critical of the Trump administration. Last month, Turkish-American streamer Hasan Piker claimed he was detained and questioned for two hours by US Customs and Border Protection agents at Chicago's O'Hare Airport after returning from France. He said agents interrogated him about his political views, including his stance on Trump and Gaza. Piker said the questioning felt 'deliberate'. The searches are intended to verify identity and assess any potential security risks. But the fact is, if you've got nudes anywhere on your phone, they can be found, even if accidentally. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video However, immigration lawyer Dr Jennifer Obaseki tells Metro that concerns are growing about the right to privacy. She asks: 'At what point does the US government feel they can overstep in restricting non-citizens' freedom of political expression, and therefore take that additional step to deny entry? It feels like a stretch on the authority they have, if not an abuse of power.' Dr Obaseki also notes that many of the people who have been interrogated or turned away at the US border have been vocal about the Trump administration and Gaza. The Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution protects people from random and arbitrary stops and searches. However, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the federal government claims the power to conduct certain kinds of warrantless stops within 100 miles of the US border. So, if you have anything NSFW on there, you might want to think about clearing it up. Technically, no. But what happens afterwards depends on your immigration status. US citizens and lawful permanent residents cannot be legally denied entry if they refuse to unlock their devices. Non-citizens, including tourists and visa holders, may be refused entry if they don't provide access to their device. And Dr Obaseki says this is more likely than not. 'Non-US citizens who are denied entry will typically be immediately removed. If it's in relation to digital content, though, the officer dealing with you would have to justify the decision,' she says. 'They have to give you a reason – whether they feel that you or the content that you hold shows that you have an intention to cause some kind of security risk, or because of any criminal history. If you don't have a criminal history, they have to consider you or your content as a risk.' If you agree to hand over your phone, the ACLU recommends that you enter your password yourself. Turning off Face ID or fingerprint beforehand can help protect your privacy, too. According to Dr Obaseki, if you have anything questionable on your phone, leave it at home. Simple as. You can always have your phone sent to you, or load your content in the cloud, and use a basic device during your time in the US. 'It's better to have yourself through customs and immigration, rather than have questions and challenges at immigration,' Dr Obaseki says. British travellers must also make sure they have an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization), which is permission to enter the US, before travel. And Dr Obaseki warns there is no formal appeal process for visa denials. However, there are preparations you can put in place to make potential challenges easier. 'At the point of entry, have someone on standby,' she advises. Meaning, if you're going to be landing and you have someone in the US expecting you, ask them to meet you at the airport. If you provide border agents with the password of your device – or if you don't have one – they can conduct an immediate 'basic search'. This usually means browsing through your texts, photos, apps and social media posts. The ACLU says they might also download the full contents of your device and save a copy of your data. Agents have been required to return your device before you leave the airport since 2018. They could, however, choose to do an 'advanced' or 'forensic' search. This is when they hold onto your device for five days to conduct a thorough search. Agents can keep it for longer due to 'extenuating circumstances', when the period is extended by seven days each time. The ACLU says they have received reports of phones being held for weeks and even months. Should you leave the airport or other border checkpoint without your device, the ACLU advises getting a receipt. This will include information about your device and contact information to follow up. If your denial is linked to digital content or social media associations, Dr Obaseki says you have to think carefully. 'Ask yourself, if somebody has made a decision and made notes about me, who else is going to see them? How long are they going to be stored on my record?' She stresses that there could be a knock-on effect on future travel. Plus, there's no real transparency on how the content taken is going to be used against you. For example, what if a family member goes travelling, will they connect that person to you, and subsequently deny them entry? Dr Obaseki repeats: 'The basis for which the searches are being made must be properly written down so that they can be challenged if they're wrong. If you're denied entry due to being at a university where there was a particular demonstration, for example, that doesn't mean you were automatically associated.' In relation to your online presence, the expert says that the US Department of State, which handles visas and immigration abroad, are now working with social media companies to conduct these screenings. 'Before you go about getting your visa application, they are looking at your handles to find whether you should be allowed to come in,' she explains, adding that this expanded screening is going to step up more in June. 'The justification for that is because Trump has said he is going to be tough on immigration,' she adds. With more reports of travellers being questioned, turned away or detained at US airports, many are thinking twice about visiting. Dr Obaseki says we are likely to see more refusals over the next couple of months, and until the end of the Trump administration. 'We'll then have more cases which we can vet and analyse, and then use to advise people,' she says. According to a recent study by the World Travel and Tourism Council, the US is projected to lose around $12.5 billion (£9.4 billion) in international travel spending this year, largely due to concerns over increased security. Many are opting out of visiting, citing fears of invasive searches, the possibility of being refused entry or being detained at the border. More Trending Still, the US is set to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, alongside Canada and Mexico, a major draw which is predicted to bring in millions of tourists. However, easing airport security measures doesn't seem to be on the cards ahead of the event. Vice President JD Vance recently joked about deporting football fans who overstay their welcome at a recent press conference for the World Cup. ]'We'll have visitors from close to 100 countries. We want them to come,' he said. 'But when the time is up, they'll have to go home.' The ACLU advises taking precautions to ensure travelling goes as smoothly as possible, when it comes to keeping your devices safe. Here are some of the tips outlined on its website: Let officers know if you have privileged material on your device Travel with as little data and as few devices as possible Encrypt devices with strong and unique passwords and shut them down when crossing the border Store sensitive data in end-to-end encrypted cloud-storage account and remove any sensitive data from your device Upload sensitive photos on your camera to your password-protected laptop or a cloud storage account Keep devices off. If you must turn them on, ensure that they are in airplane mode, with both WiFi and Bluetooth disabled Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ MORE: Trump warns that Putin wants revenge for Ukraine's drone attacks MORE: Expert reveals clues that Trump and Musk's relationship was doomed from the start MORE: Women who have a miscarriage in West Virginia could be prosecuted
