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#013: Inside Kalshi: I Tried A $22 Billion Addictive Betting App So You Don't Have To

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Show Notes

Siara breaks down two major terms and conditions changes from Meta and Google this summer, including a feature that let anyone generate AI images using a stranger's face and a privacy setting that quietly disappeared. Then she turns to Kalshi, the prediction market app that's suddenly impossible to avoid, and asks a simple question: is it actually addictive? To find out, Siara signs up and explores the app live and unscripted, walking through what it shows first, how it's built to keep users engaged, and where she draws her own line. It's an investigation into what Kalshi really is, a betting app, a financial exchange, or something in between, and what that distinction means for the people using it. Key Takeaways: Meta let anyone generate AI images of a stranger's face just by typing their Instagram handle, no follow or notification required.

That permission wasn't new; Instagram switched on content remixing by default back in 2022.

Having a private account doesn't protect your face if it appears in someone else's public photos.

Meta quietly retired the setting that let users disconnect their off-platform activity from their account.

That off-platform data now shapes your feed and Meta AI's answers, not just your ads.

Google now keeps the photos and audio you submit through Lens and Voice Search to train its AI models.

Kalshi is regulated as a financial exchange, so its ads skip the risk warnings gambling ads are required to carry.

Kalshi has admitted most of its traders lose money, and a New York class action claims its own trading arm functions as the house.

Roughly six in ten Kalshi users are between 18 and 34.

Tutorials for Updating Privacy and Reuse Settings Turn off Instagram content reuse: Open Instagram and tap your profile icon (bottom right).

Tap the menu icon (☰) in the top right.

Scroll to Sharing and reuse.

Under Allow people to create with and reuse your content, find the toggles for Posts and Reels.

Turn both off.

Turn off Google Search media saving Go to myactivity.google.com.

Open Search Services History.

Uncheck Save media.

To remove media already saved, select View and delete saved history.

Turn off Meta's use of your off-platform activity Open Facebook or Instagram and go to your profile.

Tap the menu icon, then go to Settings and Privacy > Settings.

Go to Accounts Center > Your information and permissions.

Select Activity from other businesses.

Choose Don't allow Meta to use this activity to show your relevant content.

Please find the full fact check here.

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