Author: TechBrunch

Amazon-owned LiveStreaming Service Twitch announced earlier this year that it will be moving to the vertical video space at its annual TwitchCon event. According to the findings from market intelligence provider Appsensa, these first Alpha tests went live alongside several streamers. In a recent build, the company found references to vertical video tests and information about what features these new streams offer. This feature, when fully deployed, will make Twitch more competitive with other popular vertical video services such as Tiktok, Instagram reels and YouTube shorts. Twitch testing is not widely available at this time. Appsensa's research found only a…

Meta appointed Connor Hayes, vice president of product for Meta, Generator AI, to become the head of threads on each axios. Up until now, Instagram head Adam Mosseri has been in charge of threads. However, the platform has grown to more than just a side product on Instagram and requires additional leadership. According to market intelligence provider SigralWeb, the thread only launched in 2023, but the number of mobile daily active users (DAUs) is rapidly approaching the X number. Currently, threads average around 115 million DAUs on mobile, with X's DAUs reaching around 132 million. TechCrunch contacted Meta for comment.…

Subscack announced Thursday it raised $100 million in Series C funding led by Bond and Chernin Group (TCG) investors. The round included participation from Andreessen Horowitz of Rich Paul, CEO and Founder of Klutch Sports Group, and Jens Grede, co-founder of Skims. The New York Times reports that the funding has brought Subscack's valuation to $1.1 billion, nearly 70% higher than its valuation of $650 million in 2021. Founded in 2017, Subscack is a popular platform for creators and publishers to monetize content. The company said in March it outpaced the 5 million payment subscriptions on the platform, which rose…

According to security researchers and US government agencies, hackers are targeting previously reported bugs in the signal clone app telemesh to steal user private data. Telemessage, which was revealed to be in use by senior Trump administration officials earlier this year, had already experienced at least one data breaches in May. The company sells modified versions of signal, WhatsApp and telegrams for businesses and government agencies that need to archive chats for legal and compliance reasons. On Thursday, Greynoise, a cybersecurity company with visibility into what hackers are doing on the internet thanks to a network of sensors, published a…

Mark Zuckerberg and other current and former meta executives have settled the lawsuit filed by a group of shareholders. They were seeking $8 billion for the damages executives caused to the company by allowing repeated violations of Facebook users' privacy in connection with the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The parties did not disclose details of the settlement, according to Reuters. Facebook shareholders have filed lawsuits against Mark Zuckerberg, former COO Sheryl Sandberg and other executives, alleging that they intentionally violated the Federal Trade Commission agreement by sharing user data with third-party apps without the user's consent. The FTC fined Facebook in…

According to new data from Crypto Analysis Firm Chainalysis, hackers stole over $2 billion in ciphers in the first half of 2025, recording the worst year on crypto theft records. The blockchain analytics company said Thursday in a new report Thursday that $2.17 billion stolen in the first half of 2025 already exceeds the amount of codes lost last year. Not only that, the amount of cryptocurrency stolen during the first six months of 2025 was about 17% higher than the same period in 2022, and was previously the worst year in stolen crypto records. Much of the stolen cryptography…

Spotify announced an expansion to its premium audiobook service on Thursday. It features two new plans that will provide subscribers with additional listening time and allow other families to access the services. This option is currently available only to Spotify premium users in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, after undergoing their first tests in Ireland and Canada. US users can already purchase 15 hours of listening as a standalone offer via Audiobook Access Plans, but these additions allow people in other markets to customize their access to their needs. The first…

As the race of baked with AI features intensifies into productivity apps, Slack is using AI features to enhance searches in apps, adding Huddles transcriptions and summaries, and improving the way you can see channel and thread summaries. With AI, Slack allows you to search across channels and search connected apps (such as Google Drive, Salesforce, teams) to represent related files and conversations. This feature is available for Slack's Business and Enterprise plans. Image credit: Slack The company is also using AI to enhance Huddles. Huddles calls the company's voice and video chat features, features call transcription, overview, and the…

Roblox announced Thursday it will launch new safeguards for people aged 13 to 18. The company has introduced “trusted connections” to allow these users to connect more freely with people they know, along with more privacy tools for teenage parents, and more privacy tools and insights. Roblox has been firing in recent years about how to deal with child safety. In April, Florida Attorney General James Usmieyer issued a subpoena to Roblox in response to reports that children were exposed to harmful material on the platform and that predatory adults could send messages to minors on the app. The changes…

Tiktok adds new features to the app, allowing songwriters to highlight their work. These features are rolled out in beta, and include the “Songwriter” label and a new tab that lets you show off your music. The company said a limited number of publishing partners and songwriters will have access to the new label and music highlights section. Anyone who wants to participate in the program must join the waitlist. Tiktok said he researched over 870 songwriters and interviewed several to understand their needs in relation to building profiles and creating monetization opportunities. The company also pointed to an independent…