Let me see some ID: age verification is spreading across the internet
Let me see some ID: age verification is spreading across the internet Age verification is a reality on a growing number of social media platforms, requiring an ID or facial scan for full access to everything from YouTube to Roblox. The age-gating wave is coming along with calls for stronger child safety measures online, despite […]
Discord is delaying its global age verification rollout
Discord is delaying its global age verification rollout Discord won’t roll out age verification globally on its platform next month as previously announced, and says in a blog post that it’s delaying the launch until the second half of 2026. “The way this landed, many of you walked away thinking we’re requiring face scans and […]
DJI sues over the FCC’s decision to block new drone imports
DJI sues over the FCC's decision to block new drone imports DJI wants a federal court to toss out the Federal Communications Commission’s decision to ban imports of its China-made drones and components, as reported earlier by Reuters. In a petition filed in an appeals court this week, DJI claims the FCC “exceeded its statutory […]
Inside Anthropic’s existential negotiations with the Pentagon
Inside Anthropic's existential negotiations with the Pentagon Anthropic’s weekslong battle with the Department of Defense has played out over social media posts, admonishing public statements, and direct quotes from unnamed Pentagon officials to the news media. But the future of the $380 billion AI startup comes down to just three words: “any lawful use.” The […]
Discord distances itself from Persona age verification after user backlash
Discord distances itself from Persona age verification after user backlash Discord is attempting to distance itself from the age verification provider Persona following a steady stream of user backlash. In an emailed statement to The Verge, Discord’s head of product policy, Savannah Badalich, confirms the company “ran a limited test of Persona in the UK […]
Georgia says Elon Musk’s America PAC violated election law
Georgia says Elon Musk's America PAC violated election law Of course, it’s the guy who constantly complains about voter fraud who may have committed voter fraud. | Image: The Verge For all his bluster about voter fraud, Elon Musk has been one of the most flagrant flaunters of US election law. Now his America PAC […]
Trump Mobile is just Liberty Mobile in gold foil
Trump Mobile is just Liberty Mobile in gold foil Where’s the Trump phone? We’re going to keep talking about it every week. This week, we explain how the presidential phone company connects to an older company that’s really running the show. We’ve long known that Trump Mobile was linked to Liberty Mobile, a carrier that’s […]
Smart glasses in court are a privacy nightmare
Smart glasses in court are a privacy nightmare When Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg arrived at a Los Angeles courthouse on Wednesday, he did so with a team that appeared to be wearing Meta’s camera-equipped Ray-Ban smart glasses. Judge Carolyn Kuhl was concerned. According to CNBC, Kuhl warned anyone recording with the glasses, “If you have […]
Prop bet
Prop bet Pondering my orb. | Cath Virginia Substack has updated its partnership with betting platform Polymarket, “introducing native tools that make it easier to share, discuss, and debate prediction market data directly on Substack.” Additionally, Polymarket will effectively pay “a cohort of creators,” including Matt Yglesias, to use its data though the newsletter platform’s […]
The executive that helped build Meta’s ad machine is trying to expose it
The executive that helped build Meta's ad machine is trying to expose it Brian Boland spent more than a decade figuring out how to build a system that would make Meta money. On Thursday, he told a California jury it incentivized drawing more and more users, including teens, onto Facebook and Instagram – despite the […]