Watching the real-time updates from Operation Epic Fury, one lesson kept flashing like a warning light: Don’t chase the rockets. Find the launcher.

For years, militaries have built sophisticated defenses. Rockets fly, interceptors rise, lives get saved. That matters. But every soldier knows intercepting rockets never counts as the long-term solution. Defense buys time. Strategy ends the threat.

Recall the maxim that the best defense is a good offense. Intercepting rockets protects you today. Disabling the launcher protects you tomorrow.

You trace the attack back to its source. You stop the launcher, and you stop the rockets that follow.

That principle applies to our culture.

Take the Oscars. Every year, a celebrity steps to the microphone and scolds half the country. Commentators repeat it the next morning. Clips hit social media within minutes. None of this happens by accident. The provocation is the point. The speech aims to trigger a predictable response, and for years it worked. Every clip pulled more people into the outrage cycle. Rocket after rocket.

But something changed. People have built defenses.

Many Americans now recognize the pattern. The provocation arrives. The clip goes viral. The outrage machine revs. And more people shrug. The rockets still fly. They just don’t land the way they once did.

I saw that recently in a clip of Ben Stiller promoting his new soda brand in a grocery store. For years, Stiller fired political rockets on social media at Donald Trump and his supporters. But there he was in the beverage aisle, hawking soda while shoppers pushed carts past him.

The moment felt revealing.

At some point, the rockets stopped landing.

That shouldn’t surprise anyone who remembers what Michael Jordan once said when asked why he stayed out of politics: “Republicans buy sneakers too.” Jordan understood something fundamental about celebrity influence. Star power works only if the audience still wants to watch.

Attention may be the currency of choice for some. But actual currency still runs the world.

Rebuking a president may generate applause and headlines. Selling soda still requires receipts. Filling theaters still requires paying customers. You can see it in the numbers: Award show ratings have fallen, and box office success increasingly depends on audiences tired of being lectured.

The rockets are still flying, but they’re losing range.

RELATED: ‘Bugonia’ and Hollywood’s most post-Christian Academy Awards yet

Photo by Nick Agro/Academy Museum Foundation via Getty Images

Which raises the real question: Why do we keep arguing about the explosions instead of the launchers?

Most cultural flashpoints don’t originate on a stage or in a viral clip. They are symptoms of deeper forces already at work — ideas formed in classrooms, reinforced by institutions, and absorbed by the next generation.

Those are the launchers.

Some leaders figured this out and adjusted their strategy. Instead of reacting to every viral moment, they went to the places where the ideas get produced and packaged. That’s a big part of what made Charlie Kirk effective with young audiences. He didn’t spend his life chasing rockets. He went to campuses and challenged the ideas being launched there.

Recall the maxim that the best defense is a good offense. Intercepting rockets protects you today. Disabling the launcher protects you tomorrow. Once the launcher is gone, there’s far less you need to defend against.

That takes patience. Discipline. And the wisdom to ignore the latest explosion overhead.

Playing defense keeps you alive. Playing offense wins.

And there’s one more thing worth noticing.

God never plays defense. Throughout scripture, truth advances. Light pushes back darkness. The gates of hell aren’t advancing against the church. They are the ones being stormed.

The lesson is simple: Stop chasing rockets. Find the launchers.

​Academy awards, Rockets, Outrage, Oscars, Outrage machine, Ben stiller, Discipline, Opinion & analysis, Fame, Celebrity, Viral video 

Republican Rep. August Pfluger of Texas is leading a bipartisan charge to combat the rise of nitazenes, a class of illicit drugs that could be deadlier than fentanyl, Blaze News has learned.

Pfluger introduced the House version of the DETECT Nitazenes Act Thursday alongside Democratic Rep. Eugene Vindman of Virginia. The bipartisan and bicameral legislation would direct resources from the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate and the Drug Enforcement Administration to enhance technologies to detect illicit drugs like nitazenes at extremely low concentrations, according to bill text obtained exclusively by Blaze News.

‘These deadly drugs are taking American lives.’

“Nitazenes are an emerging class of illicit drugs that pose a serious threat to Americans’ health and safety, yet today, these deadly drugs have not received the level of attention necessary to combat them,” Pfluger told Blaze News. “The DETECT Nitazenes Act will close critical gaps in detection capabilities, support law enforcement efforts, and improve public safety outcomes by enabling faster and more accurate identification of these deadly substances.”

“As the risk from synthetic drugs continues to evolve, this legislation ensures that we remain prepared to respond to the next generation of deadly narcotics and protect our communities,” he continued.

RELATED: Exclusive: SAVE Act hangs in the balance as Republican Study Committee pushes for Senate passage

Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri, who is leading the companion bill in the Senate, demonstrated just how destructive nitazenes can be, urging Congress to take swift action.

“Nitazenes are powerful synthetic opioids that are stronger than fentanyl, cheaper to produce, and devastatingly lethal,” Schmitt told Blaze News. “These deadly drugs are taking American lives, and we must get smart on them before they devastate communities across Missouri and the nation.”

RELATED: Exclusive: GOP lawmaker leads push to counter CCP influence in global telecommunications

Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Schmitt added, “I was proud to introduce the DETECT Nitazenes Act in the Senate and am encouraged to see my colleagues introduce it in the House. I urge both the House and the Senate to take up this critical bill to help tackle this crisis before nitazenes get out of control.”

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​August pfluger, Eric schmitt, Fentanyl, Nitazenes, Illicit drugs, House republicans, Senate republicans, Dhs, Dea, Politics 

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested several criminal illegal aliens, including those with convictions for murder and child sexual abuse.

A Department of Homeland Security press release obtained by Blaze News highlighted five arrests made by ICE on Wednesday.

‘President Trump has been clear: If you break the law, you will face the consequences.’

“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announces the arrest of more criminal illegal aliens convicted for heinous crimes, including murder, lewd acts with a child, forcible sexual abuse, and possession and intent to distribute methamphetamine,” the press release stated.

The DHS noted that nearly 70% of the immigration agency’s arrests are of illegal aliens with prior charges or convictions in the United States.

The agency highlighted the capture of Santos Cornelio Ramos Vasquez, an illegal alien from Guatemala. Ramos Vasquez is a registered sex offender who was convicted on two counts of lewd or lascivious acts with a minor child under 14 years old in Los Angeles, California.

RELATED: White House offers concessions to end DHS shutdown — but Dems still choose illegal aliens over unpaid American TSA agents

Santos Cornelio Ramos Vasquez. Image source: Department of Homeland Security

Cesar Verduzco-Rojas, an illegal alien from Mexico, was also arrested by ICE officers. He was previously convicted of murder in Perris, California. According to the San Bernardino Sun, Verduzco-Rojas was accused of killing a 24-year-old Mead Valley man in 2021. The victim was found behind the wheel of his vehicle, deceased from gunshot wounds.

Cesar Verduzco-Rojas. Image source: Department of Homeland Security

Federal immigration agents nabbed Jermaine Dalton Crosley, an illegal alien from Jamaica who was previously convicted of third-degree murder in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Court records revealed that Dalton Crosley was accused of fatally shooting a man who had allowed him to live on his property. A physical altercation ensued after the man demanded Dalton Crosley vacate.

Jermaine Dalton Crosley. Image source: Department of Homeland Security

Alber Eleazar Blanco, an illegal alien from Venezuela, was nabbed by immigration agents. He has a prior conviction in Provo, Utah, for forcible sexual abuse. Based on sex offender registry data, Blanco is 33 years old and lives in Spanish Fork, Utah.

Alber Eleazar Blanco. Image source: Department of Homeland Security

The final arrest noted by the DHS was Jose Manuel Ruiz Preciado, an illegal alien from Mexico. He was convicted in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas of possession and intent to distribute methamphetamine.

RELATED: Georgia city cuts water to planned ICE detention center

Jose Manuel Ruiz Preciado. Image source: Department of Homeland Security

“The media and sanctuary politicians continuously ignore the criminal illegal aliens ICE law enforcement is arresting from American neighborhoods,” DHS acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis stated.

“Yesterday alone, ICE arrested multiple murderers, pedophiles, and drug traffickers. President Trump has been clear: If you break the law, you will face the consequences,” Bis continued. “Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S.”

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​News, Immigration and customs enforcement, Ice, Immigration crisis, Illegal immigration crisis, Immigration, Illegal immigration, Department of homeland security, Dhs, Politics 

President Donald Trump’s pick to head the Department of Homeland Security advanced through committee Thursday thanks to one Democrat senator.

Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s nomination advanced through the Senate Homeland Security Committee after Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania crossed party lines and voted in favor of the nominee. Mullin’s confirmation was previously in jeopardy after the committee’s chairman, Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, vowed to vote against the nominee, citing concerns about his “temperament.”

‘Seems like you fight Republicans more than you work with us.’

“They’ve had to have known for weeks that I couldn’t be real happy about a guy that won’t apologize and thinks that my assault was perfectly understandable,” Paul said.

Without Paul’s support, Mullin was on the brink of failing the simple majority vote needed to pass through the committee. However, Fetterman joined seven Republicans on the committee to advance Mullin’s nomination to the Senate floor.

RELATED: ‘Freaking snake’: Trump’s new DHS pick faces major roadblock from lone Republican

Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Paul and Mullin sparred in Wednesday’s confirmation hearing after the chairman confronted the nominee over past comments he made about a violent assault Paul survived.

“You have never had the courage to look me in the eye and tell me that the assault was justified,” Paul said of Mullin’s comments following the 2017 assault that left him with broken ribs. Paul also claimed Mullin referred to him as a “freaking snake.”

Mullin pushed back on Paul’s claims in his opening statement, saying they addressed their differences when the Oklahoma senator was still in the House.

“I’m very blunt and direct to the point,” Mullin said. “And if I have something to say, I’ll say it directly to your face.”

“Seems like you fight Republicans more than you work with us,” Mullin added.

RELATED: Noem is OUT — and Trump has named her replacement

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Mullin’s nomination is now headed to the floor, where the Republican-controlled Senate is expected to confirm him with a simple majority.

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​John fetterman, Rand paul, Markwayne mullin, Donald trump, Kristi noem, Dhs, Department of homeland security, Senate republicans, Senate democrats, Senate confirmation, Trump nominee, Politics 

The midterms are shaping up to be a rough outing for Republicans, according to CNN analyst Harry Enten.

On Thursday, Enten pointed to Americans’ attitudes on the cost of living and a massive drop in satisfaction from just before the election in 2024 until March 2026.

‘You can’t win when you’re 41 points below water on the cost of living.’

While President Donald Trump enjoyed a three-point net positive on the issue of cost of living in October 2024, he now has a negative 41-point rating on the same issue. The rating is the worst recorded, said the analyst.

“I would say that this is the most troublesome sign that I have seen for the president of the United States and the Republican Party so far,” said Enten.

“You can’t win when you’re 41 points below water on the cost of living.”

Among independent voters, which many consider to be a bellwether for elections, the drop is even steeper. The president had a net positive rating of 11 points in 2024, but that has fallen by 71 points to a net negative rating of 60 points among independents for the cost-of-living question.

“This, my dear friends, is just a political nightmare waiting to happen for the Republican Party come the midterm election,” Enten added.

Voters also rate cost of living as their top issue, and that concern has grown slightly for the next election.

Thirty-eight percent of voters cited cost of living as their top concern in 2024, and 39% now say it’s their top concern.

“Simply put, I am saying this loud and proud: You cannot win an election when you are the incumbent party and the top issue is the cost of living,” he added.

“And your net approval rating on it is 41 points underwater? I mean, you’re with Greg Louganis at this point!”

Louganis is an American diver who won multiple Olympic gold medals in the 1980s.

RELATED: Congressional Democrats have horrendous approval ratings — even among Democratic voters

Enten posted video of the segment to his official X social media account.

“You cannot win. If you’re the president and you’re the Republican Party and you’re not addressing this issue: Wave adios, amigos, goodbye, see you later to your House majority and may very well be your Senate majority as well.”

Enten also pointed out that prediction markets pointed to a strong possibility that inflation would be higher when reported for the month of March over the last year, which would likely worsen conditions for Republicans.

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​Polling for midterm elections, Cost of living 2026, Republicans vs democrats, Harry enten polling, Politics 

A bevy of European countries and Japan issued a joint statement to condemn Iran and pledge to defend the Strait of Hormuz from the belligerent regime’s military threat.

Iran has shut down the strait and sent oil prices spiraling after the U.S. and Israel began military strikes about three weeks ago.

‘Everybody agrees. The strait cannot stay closed. It has to open up again as soon as possible. This is crucial for the world economy.’

European countries initially refused to join the effort to defend the strait, but on Thursday, they relented and issued a statement condemning Iran.

“We express our deep concern about the escalating conflict. We call on Iran to cease immediately its threats, laying of mines, drone and missile attacks, and other attempts to block the Strait to commercial shipping,” said the global leaders in their proclamation.

Leaders from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Japan signed the letter, which went on to call Iran’s actions to disrupt global energy supply chains “a threat to international peace and security.”

“We express our readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait,” the letter continued. “We welcome the commitment of nations who are engaging in preparatory planning.”

President Trump had warned that the future of NATO was threatened unless the international community joined the effort to defend the oil tanker route.

“The United States of America has beaten and completely decimated Iran, both Militarily, Economically, and in every other way, but the Countries of the World that receive Oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help — A LOT!” he wrote on Saturday.

“This should have always been a team effort, and now it will be — It will bring the World together toward Harmony, Security, and Everlasting Peace!” he added.

Crude oil rose to about $65 in late February and spiked to above $95 by Thursday, an increase of about 50%. Americans are seeing the price surge at the gas pump, leading some to worry that cost-of-living concerns may crush Republicans in the midterm elections.

An Israeli strike on a major oil field in Iran led to retaliatory Irani strikes against oil facilities in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, as well as Kuwait. Trump claimed that he had not been alerted prior to the oil field attack, but an Axios report citing U.S. and Israeli officials said he had been told about the strike.

“Everybody agrees. The strait cannot stay closed. It has to open up again as soon as possible. This is crucial for the world economy,” said NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte Thursday. “I am confident that allies as always, will do everything in support of our shared interest.”

RELATED: The Economist gets crushed over sympathetic portrayal of dead Iranian leader

War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday the strikes on Iran would escalate.

“Again, today will be the largest strike package yet, just like yesterday was. As I’ve said from day one, our capabilities continue to build; Iran’s continue to degrade,” he said in a media briefing. “We’re hunting and striking death and destruction from above.”

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​European countries to defend hormuz, Strait of hormuz shut down, Oil prices skyrocketing, Us-israel strikes on iran, Politics 

In 1996, the Oscars viewership totaled a whopping 45 million — but now, in 2026, the number has dwindled to a measly 17 million.

“At 17 million, it’s attracting about 5% of the American public,” BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock comments, adding that Clay Travis made an interesting point regarding the celebrity awards show.

“Big media take: the only reason broadcast TV networks still exist is the NFL. Go look at ratings, if the NFL isn’t on NBC, CBS and Fox, what are people watching on these channels? Bigger media take: sports is the only reason cable TV still exists. Am I wrong? Debate, discuss,” Travis wrote in a post on X.

The Oscars, like sports, Whitlock comments, “used to be a powerhouse.”

“It was like a big party, a big holiday event, Oscars night. Families would dress up, families would throw parties, people would invite everybody over, people would have wine and beer and drink and food,” he recalls.

“It was like a celebration. It was a mini-Super Bowl. And now it’s nothing. And it’s nothing because it moved away from reality. It’s nothing because the movies are nothing. They are straight trash,” he says, blaming DEI for the quality of films.

“The woke movement has done this. Woke movies, woke television, woke everything, the move away from reality. Movies and TV no longer reflect our reality. And that has made sports the last thing still connected to reality, the last thing that still reflects an American reality. It makes sports more valuable,” he explains.

And sports still reflect an American reality because many of them are attached to patriotism.

“There is an underserved market of people out here that want to see things on television, things in popular culture, that reflect a love for America and are connected to something that’s believable,” Whitlock says.

“This is how I know they have killed capitalism, because there’s this great mass of America that just wants popular culture to serve them up some reality, some masculinity, some moral values loosely connected to Christianity,” he continues.

“They want to celebrate America,” he adds.

Want more from Jason Whitlock?

To enjoy more fearless conversations at the crossroads of culture, faith, sports, and comedy with Jason Whitlock, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Fearless, Jason whitlock, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, The oscars, Clay travis, Academy awards, The oscars ratings, Nfl, National football league, Football, American sports, Patriotism, Fearless with jason whitlock 

Sources have informed multiple publications that the FBI is investigating combat veteran Joe Kent over an alleged leak of classified information. Four individuals with direct knowledge of the probe told Semafor that it predates Kent’s resignation on Tuesday as director of the National Counterterrorism Center.

A source familiar with the case told Axios that Kent was suspected of leaking information to Tucker Carlson and another conservative podcaster and that the bureau is looking into whether the allegedly leaked information pertained to Israel and Iran.

‘Israelis drove the decision.’

When asked for comment, the White House referred Blaze News to the FBI. The FBI declined to comment. Blaze News reached out to Kent for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Kent — a retired Green Beret and former CIA officer whom President Donald Trump nominated to be NCTC director in February 2025 and the U.S. Senate confirmed in a 52-44 vote in July — wrote in a post accompanying his resignation letter addressed to Trump and published Tuesday that Iran “posed no imminent threat to our nation” and that “it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”

The ex-intel official said further in the letter:

Early in this administration, high-ranking Israeli officials and influential members of the American media deployed a misinformation campaign that wholly undermined your America First platform and sowed pro-war sentiments to encourage a war with Iran. This echo chamber was used to deceive you into believing that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States, and that should you strike now, there was a clear path to victory. This was a lie and is the same tactic the Israelis used to draw us into the Iraq war that cost our nation the lives of thousands of our best men and women.

The president told reporters on Tuesday, “I read his statement — and I always thought he was a nice guy — but I always thought he was weak on security, very weak on security.”

RELATED: If Congress can’t oversee the FBI, who can?

Photographer: Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

“When I read his statement, I realized that it’s a good thing that he’s out, because he said that Iran was not a threat. Iran was a threat — every country realized what a threat Iran was. The question is whether they wanted to do something about it,” said Trump.

Trump later shared an image of a tweet that Kent posted in January 2020, imploring Trump, then in his first term, to “wipe Iran’s ballistic capability out and get our troops out of Iraq — they are only targets now.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed on Tuesday that Kent’s resignation letter was replete with “false claims” and noted that “the absurd allegation that President Trump made this decision based on the influence of others, even foreign countries, is both insulting and laughable.”

On Wednesday, Kent appeared with Tucker Carlson, who said about the Iran strikes: “Joe Kent was right. Therefore, Joe Kent must be destroyed. And there is, of course, this ongoing effort to do that — to dismiss Joe Kent as a tool of the Islamists or a leaker.”

During the interview, Kent explained to Carlson his reasons for leaving the administration, his misgivings about the conflict with Iran, and his support for the president and Trump’s previous policies.

Referring to remarks made earlier this month by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Kent told Carlson — who was denounced on March 5 by the president following months of criticism — that the “Israelis drove the decision” to attack Iran.

Intelligence showed that Iran was neither on the verge of obtaining a nuclear weapon nor planning “to launch this big sneak attack,” Kent added.

He further claimed that Trump was siloed when it came to the issue of Iran, stating that “a good deal of key decision-makers were not allowed to come express their opinion to the president.”

‘He quit because he’s under investigation.’

Kent also claimed that when it came to Charlie Kirk’s assassination, “we’re not really even allowed to look into that at all.” Kent even intimated that the assassination might have something to do with Kirk’s vocal opposition to a possible regime-change war in Iran.

“One of President Trump’s closest advisers who is vocally advocating for us to not go to war with Iran and for us to rethink, at least, our relationship with the Israelis, and then he’s suddenly publicly assassinated, and we’re not allowed to ask any questions about that — it’s a data point,” said Kent. “It’s a data point that we need to look into.”‘

One of the sources reportedly familiar with the FBI investigation into Kent told Axios, “He left quite an online paper trail and he has been monitored for months.”

“He’s going to try to say this was in retaliation for his resignation,” continued the source, “but it’s the other way around: He quit because he’s under investigation — and he knew it.”

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​Fbi, Bureau, Investigation, White house, Donald trump, Joe kent, Kent, Iran war, Israel, Charlie kirk, Intervention, Foreign entanglement, Tucker carlson, Carlson, Leaker, Leak, Politics 

Anonymity is never promised online, even when using an account that isn’t attached to your real name or personal email address. While it usually takes a lot of time and effort for an investigator to expose someone’s real identity, that’s all about to change. A new study confirms that it’s easier and cheaper than ever to uncover the people behind anonymous social media accounts en masse, and it’s all powered by generative AI.

The study

The study, led by members of Berlin-based independent research group MATS Research and Swiss research university ETH Zurich, claimed in early March that large language models can be used to reveal the real identities behind anonymous social media accounts at a scale never seen before.

There are serious consequences, especially for privacy and free speech.

Using a set of fictional accounts between Hacker News, Reddit, and LinkedIn, the study showed how LLMs can scan a single account and search the internet for potential matches based on semantic embeddings — mathematical vectors that represent the meaning of written text to compare similarities between various bodies of written work. Ultimately, the LLM was able to target an anonymous account on Hacker News or Reddit and connect it to the person’s “real identity” on LinkedIn.

The results showed that LLMs can achieve “up to 68% recall at 90% precision” to deanonymize accounts. In other words, the study correctly identified more than half of anonymous users with up to 90% accuracy.

It’s a terrifying revelation that your writing style — including your word choices, ideas, concepts, and beliefs — could all be turned into mathematical data that reveals exactly who you are, even if you think your social accounts aren’t connected to you at all. Even more sobering, the LLMs don’t need access to your email address, your phone number, your home address, or any other personal information to determine your identity. They only need your public writing.

The stipulations

If there’s any good news, it’s that there are several potential flaws in the study.

For starters, it didn’t use any real accounts. The targeted “users” were all fabricated with their identities already known by the researchers. In a real de-anonymizing scenario, there would be no confirmation on the other end when the LLM gets an identity right or wrong, leaving sleuths to wonder if they linked the correct person.

RELATED: New hack poses biggest iPhone threat in 19 years: What you can do

Xaume Olleros/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Also, to cross-match an anonymous account with a real identity, the targeted person has to have a real online account to compare. If no such account exists, then an anonymous account could theoretically skirt the AI’s search parameters to stay concealed.

The implications

If used effectively, however, there are some serious consequences to wide-scale LLM de-anonymization, especially for privacy and free speech. This tech could easily be used by violent activist groups, corrupt NGOs, and government agencies to track anonymous accounts, uncover identities, and reveal the political beliefs of users who wish to remain unknown.

There is also huge potential for misidentifications. While the LLM in the study was considerably accurate by research standards, it wasn’t perfect. If and when something like this is ever deployed on real-world accounts at scale, it will misidentify some online accounts, possibly causing trouble for people who are wrongly accused of owning certain anonymous profiles.

Lastly, while the study focuses on LLMs digging through social media accounts to link anonymous users to real people, AI can technically do this with any body of written work. For example, all it takes is for Gemini to see the documents in your Google Drive account or for Microsoft Copilot to view your work emails to get enough semantic embedding data to search for your secret alter ego.

In other words, we could be heading into an age of oppressive online police and mass surveillance where online anonymity simply can’t exist.

What can you do?

There isn’t a surefire way to keep your anonymous online presence safe from scouring LLMs, but there are a couple of things that might help.

The first and obvious option is not to have an anonymous account at all. If you plan to be online, you must represent yourself under your own name. That means owning your values, never posting anything you wouldn’t say to a person in public, and standing up for what you believe. The Biden administration actively stomped on the values of conservatives with mass censorship and misinformation campaigns meant to scare us into submission, lest we face the wrath of cancel culture. That era is over. We can’t sit in the shadows any more while the left screams louder into the void. LLM de-anonymization simply won’t allow it.

If you must use an anonymous account, then you should delete any online accounts that do represent your true identity. That means getting rid of your real LinkedIn, Facebook, and any other profile where you’ve written words that provide semantic embedding data about you. Note, however, that even if you delete these accounts, pieces of them still exist in perpetuity on web archival services like Wayback Machine, so if an LLM wanted to dig around to uncover who you are, it still could.

The age of online anonymity is over

This study ultimately boils down to one central idea: “Anonymous” online interactions are a thing of the past. Privacy is merely a facade when an LLM can take everything you’ve ever posted online and track you down with stunning accuracy.

AI programs don’t care if you use a secret email address, install a VPN, or browse in incognito mode. The key to finding your identity is the words you write. That’s all it needs to understand who you are.

This is just the beginning. AI tools like these will only get better with time, making it even easier to unmask anonymous posters around the internet. That means if you do have an anonymous account, you shouldn’t assume your identity is safe. Anyone can find the truth with your own words used against you to destroy your privacy.

​Tech