Author: TechBrunch

A startup called Skylight takes a different approach to short form videos. Instead of limiting users to the main feed of algorithms, as is common in social apps, Skylight builds a community around human curators who post and repost videos to build their own custom feeds that others can subscribe to. The option launched on Monday with the app's version 2.0 release will appeal to users who feel increasingly uneasy about traditional social media platforms and their algorithmic manipulation, as well as those suffering from an increase in the low-quality AI-generated content that is filling these feeds. Based on Bluesky's…

Instagram is introducing new features aimed at helping college students connect with people on campus, the company announced Tuesday. The launch will take place a week after Tiktok unveiled almost the same features. The new option allows US students to add universities and universities to their profile banners and view a list of students at the school. Students will display the “Add School” option in their profile. Click this to complete the verification process via the Student Verification Platform Uniday and display the school in your profile. Once the school banner is added, you can choose who can see it.…

Google upgrades the Gemini Chatbot with a new AI image model, giving users more control over photo editing. It aims to catch up with OpenAI's popular image tool and pull users out of ChatGPT. Called Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, this update will be deployed to all users of the Gemini app from Tuesday, as well as developers via the Gemini API, Google AI Studio and the Vertex AI platform. Gemini's new AI image model is designed to provide more accurate editing of images based on natural language requests from users. For example, ask ChatGpt or Xai Grok to change the…

Spotify shows you how to chat with friends to become a more social content-consuming app. Users have been sharing Spotify links for music and podcasts with others for years. With this feature, users don't need to search for songs, as Spotify wants users to do more within the app while keeping a history of shared content. Messages are one-on-one and only allow you to start a chat with people who have previously shared content. This means that if you have a collaborative playlist with someone, or if you join a jam or blend, you can start a conversation. This applies…

Lobbying records submitted to Congress show Andreesen Horowitz's plan to promote the agenda in Washington shows no signs of slowing down. A16Z is spending narrowly on its own industry trade group, the National Venture Capital Association. According to a TechCrunch review of lobbying disclosures, the pace of lobbying appears to have been accelerating since last year. A16z spent $1.8 million on lobbying for all of 2024 and $950,000 in 2023. A16Z's lobbying strategy stands out among major VC companies, most of which report little or no federal lobbying. Sequoia Capital reports just $120,000 a year, while General Catalyst costs $500,000…

Bounce, a new technology that adds critical components to the open social web, will be made public on Monday. The Cross-Protocol Migration tool provides a service that allows users of open social networks such as Bluesky and Mastodon to move follow graphs between accounts, despite the network relying on different underlying protocols. Today, Mastodon users who are unhappy with the service can choose to move their accounts to another Mastodon server, but Bluesky is developing technology that allows them to migrate their accounts to a new PDS on their network (the term Bluesky's “personal data server”). However, Mastodon runs the…

Google is increasing its security measures, focusing on distributing Android apps, the company announced Monday. Starting next year, Google will begin to verify the identity of developers who distribute apps to Android devices, as well as those who distribute them through the Play Store. This change will make global deployments more gradual, but will affect all certified Android devices once live. The tech giant emphasizes that this doesn't mean that developers cannot distribute outside the Play Store via other app stores or sideloads. Android will remain open at that point. However, developers who appreciate the anonymity of alternative distribution methods…

TechCrunch has confirmed that stalkerware makers with multiple data leaks and violation history have a critical security vulnerability that allows anyone to take over their user account and steal sensitive personal data from victims. Independent security researcher Swarang Wade has discovered the vulnerability. This allows anyone to reset the password for users of the Stalkerware app. Given the nature of TheTruthspy, it is possible that many customers are manipulating it without the consent of the target, who doesn't know that phone data is being sucked up by someone else. This fundamental flaw once again shows that consumer spyware manufacturers such…

The Startup Battlefield 2025 Judgment Committee is getting stronger. The first wave of VCS brought serious firepower. Now we're adding top investors to grill founders, unpack big questions and helping the $100,000 champion at this year's TechCrunch Discrupt. Like legendary investors reviewed over the past few years, this next group brings insights, experience and instincts that can change the founder's trajectory in just one Q&A. This is the next set of investors ready to bring their most insightful questions to the confusing stage. Save over $650 and secure your tickets now to see the pitch-off live. Meet the next wave…

Social networking startup Bluesky has decided to block access to Mississippi services rather than complying with the new age guarantee law. In a blog post published Friday, the company explained that as a small team, they lacked the resources to make the substantial technical changes required by this type of law, raising concerns about the widespread scope of the law and its privacy implications. Mississippi's HB 1126 requires a platform that introduces age verification for all users before accessing social networks such as Bluesky. On Thursday, a US Supreme Court judge decided to block emergency appeals that would prevent the…