Marvel made headlines a few days ago when it subpoenaed Instagram for the identity of the individual behind an account responsible for leaking parts of the upcoming Captain America film.
@canwegetsometoast has 15,000 Instagram followers and they routinely leak footage from superhero projects. However, @canwegetsometoast’s actions technically infringe upon Disney’s intellectual property. The leaks threaten the financial success of Marvel’s upcoming films. As such, their case may have more merit than people realize.
The Disney case is fascinating because of the conversation it has sparked online. You would expect the public to side with the leaker. The masses always side with the underdog in these situations, especially when the aggressor is a billion-dollar entity with a reputation for perpetrating shady business practices.
However, people are actually split. No one cares that a random Instagram account is potentially costing Disney billions. They care that @canwegetsometoast threatens to destroy their enjoyment of Captain America: New World Order by revealing spoilers.
For that sizable circle of consumers, accounts like @canwegetsometoast are annoying. You could argue that @canwegetsometoast does not compel anyone to read his leaks, but that is not true. Do you know who follows @canwegetsometoast? Trolls. People who love antagonizing others by posting inflammatory content. They take @canwegetsometoast’s leaks and plaster them everywhere.
The major publications that cover these leaks have the decency to hide them beneath several paragraphs of an article. And even then, they include spoiler tags warning sensitive readers to stay away. Trolls include spoilers and leaks in the pictures and titles of their posts, making them impossible to avoid.
And they rejoice when people riot in response. They want you to throw the loudest possible tantrums because your emotional turmoil amuses them. This is why accounts known specifically for leaking spoilers are annoying. They provide the ammunition
that trolls use to destroy our viewing experience. But that does not mean you are helpless in this situation.
Even if Disney fails to silence @canwegetsometoast, you can take steps to protect yourself from unwanted spoilers. Some people will encourage you to avoid social media altogether. But you don’t have to take such drastic steps, not when social media platforms provide tools that allow users to mute specific words.
Identify every phrase associated with the movie, show, or game that matters to you and mute it. This will keep spoiler content out of your feed. Some browsers offer extensions that hide words and phrases. They can protect you from spoilers on websites.
What about YouTube? What can you do about those channels that routinely include spoilers in their video titles and thumbnails? Delete them from your feed. Whenever YouTube recommends a video from a channel with a reputation for publishing spoilers, click those three dots next to it and select ‘Not Interested.’
This prevents the platform from showing you videos associated with that channel. You can also click ‘Don’t Recommend Channel.’ What about channels that respect their viewers enough to steer clear of spoilers? They are just as dangerous. Why? Because trolls in their comment sections can still ruin your day with spoilers.
Feel free to watch their videos, but stay away from the comments. Some channels have moderators that delete spoilers and ban offending users. However, you can’t expect them to catch every offender, and you may read a spoiler before they act.
Admittedly, none of these precautions can guarantee a completely spoiler-free viewing experience, which is why some viewers limit their online activity to a narrow corner of the internet.
No one expects Disney to succeed. @canwegetsometoast will continue to post leaks for the foreseeable future. Even if they fall, others will rise to take their place. Therefore, you should take it upon yourself to avoid spoilers. Don’t expect Disney to do the difficult work for you.
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Source: The Observer
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