The Dark Side of Online 'Universities': When Grift Meets Toxic Masculinity
The news about Andrew Tate’s “online university” being hacked would be almost comical if it weren’t so concerning. Over 800,000 users affected by the breach - that’s more people than the entire population of Geelong. The sheer scale of this operation is staggering, and frankly, deeply troubling.
Sitting here in my home office, taking a break from flight simulator to digest this news, I find myself wrestling with a mix of emotions. The fact that hundreds of thousands of people, many likely young and vulnerable, have fallen for what is essentially a dressed-up MLM scheme masquerading as education makes my blood boil.
Let’s be clear about what we’re looking at here: a $50 monthly subscription to access what’s basically a Discord clone with some dubious “get rich quick” content. The platform even encourages members to spread clips online for “member perks” - turning participants into unwitting marketing tools. It’s pyramid schemes for the digital age, wrapped in a toxic layer of misogyny and pseudo-masculinity.
The Victorian government recently launched several initiatives to combat online disinformation and protect young people from digital exploitation. But watching this unfold makes me wonder if we’re doing enough. When I drop my son off at school, I often think about what kind of online world he’s growing up in.
What’s particularly disturbing is how these operations prey on feelings of inadequacy and promise quick solutions. The “university” label itself is a cynical appropriation of educational legitimacy. Meanwhile, our actual universities are struggling with funding cuts while these digital snake oil salesmen rake in millions.
Some might dismiss this as just another internet scam, but there’s something more insidious at play. These platforms aren’t just taking people’s money - they’re spreading harmful ideologies that can shape how young men view themselves and others. The financial scam is just the visible part of the iceberg.
The recent hack might provide some schadenfreude, but the underlying issues remain. We need better digital literacy education and more robust conversations about masculinity that don’t devolve into toxic rhetoric. The path forward isn’t through $50 monthly subscriptions to self-proclaimed gurus, but through genuine education and community support.
Perhaps the silver lining in all this is that sunlight is the best disinfectant. The more these operations are exposed, the harder it becomes for them to operate in the shadows. Still, watching the numbers involved, I can’t help but worry about what the next iteration of this scheme might look like.