This Week in Tech (Audio)

TWiT 1059: I'm Interested in Your Toolset - Why Your Favorite Site Went Dark This Week

November 24, 2025

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  • Australia's sweeping social media ban for minors, set to take effect around December 10th, immediately raises questions about the feasibility and fairness of age verification methods, such as Roblox's video selfie requirement. 
  • The recent Cloudflare outage, caused by a fat-fingered change to a bot management feature file that exceeded size limits, highlights the inherent risk of single points of failure across the internet, even among highly regarded infrastructure providers. 
  • The dissolution of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is viewed by some as a loss for the concept of government efficiency, while others argue its execution was flawed and its purpose was potentially misused for data consolidation rather than genuine improvement. 
  • The discussion suggests that the perceived impact of political figures on Bitcoin's value is debatable, with some arguing that stablecoin legislation actually legitimized the crypto ecosystem, which benefited Bitcoin prices. 
  • Microsoft's Copilot AI is currently underperforming expectations, failing basic visual and conversational tasks demonstrated in its own advertising, highlighting the gap between AI marketing and current capabilities. 
  • The International Association of Cryptologic Research (IACR) was forced to cancel an election because one of the three trustees irretrievably lost their one-third share of the cryptographic key needed to decrypt the results, demonstrating a critical human failure point in secure systems. 
  • A judge is urgently seeking to impose penalties on Google for its ad tech monopoly before the company can effectively appeal the ruling. 
  • Elon Musk's vision of a future where human labor is optional due to AI and humanoid robots is viewed skeptically by the hosts as potentially self-serving hype, given the current limitations of robotics. 
  • Boston Dynamics' SPOT robot dogs are increasingly being deployed by law enforcement and bomb squads, raising concerns about the militarization of robotics despite their utility in hazardous situations. 

Segments

Panel Introduction and Show Preview
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(00:00:00)
  • Key Takeaway: The panel for This Week in Tech, episode 1059, includes Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ, Molly White, and Wesley Faulkner, covering topics like Australian social bans and Roblox’s age verification.
  • Summary: The episode previewed discussions on the approaching deadline for Australia’s social media ban for children and the controversial method Roblox is using for age verification, forcing 10-year-olds to submit video selfies. The show also planned to cover Meta’s court win and the penalty phase for Google. The episode is identified as TWiT this week in Tech, episode 1059, recorded Sunday, November 23rd, 2025.
Vatican Indulgence Certificates
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(00:02:03)
  • Key Takeaway: Indulgence certificates from the Vatican Jubilee Gate can be personalized for any intended recipient for a fee of three Euros.
  • Summary: Father Robert Ballecer, SJ, confirmed the Jubilee Gate is open until January 6th, and certificates can be obtained by paying three Euros. A recent TikTok video popularized the process, leading to long lines for the certificates. The concept of putting indulgences on the blockchain was jokingly suggested as a decentralized, permanent record.
X (Twitter) Foreign Troll Unmasking
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(00:05:39)
  • Key Takeaway: X briefly implemented a feature revealing the origin country of accounts, which immediately exposed several top MAGA influencers as foreign trolls based in Eastern Europe and Thailand.
  • Summary: X rolled out a feature showing account origins, quickly revealing that several verified, high-follower MAGA influencers were actually based in Eastern Europe or Thailand, despite claiming to be in Washington D.C. The feature was quickly rolled back after only a day and a half. The hosts noted that blue checks no longer guarantee authenticity and that many influencers remain on X because monetizable metrics are still higher there than on alternative platforms.
Australian Social Media Ban Impact
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(00:12:13)
  • Key Takeaway: Australia’s ban on social media for users under 16, which may have already begun, affects major platforms including YouTube, Kick, and Twitch, prompting interest in the resulting data on child protection.
  • Summary: The ban, effective around December 10th, targets platforms like X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for users under 16, though reports suggest it has already started. The hosts are interested in the data this experiment yields regarding child protection, despite concerns about unintended consequences like cutting off support systems for teens. Age verification methods are proving difficult, with sophisticated users likely bypassing restrictions using VPNs.
Digital ID and Age Verification Standards
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(00:18:04)
  • Key Takeaway: A standardized, programmatic negotiation layer between operating systems (like Apple’s API) and applications is needed to enforce age restrictions across the web effectively.
  • Summary: Wesley Faulkner suggested that enforcing laws like Virginia’s one-hour limit requires a common way for software to present its restriction capabilities, perhaps via an API query to the OS. Apple already has an API that can query a user’s age group, which Meta and other apps could query to enforce age limits. This standardized negotiation could help platforms like Mastodon comply without implementing invasive verification themselves.
Roblox Video Selfie Verification
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(00:21:03)
  • Key Takeaway: Roblox is requiring children as young as nine to submit video selfies for age verification using an AI system called Persona, which is reportedly accurate within one or two years for ages five to 25.
  • Summary: Roblox is implementing video selfie verification globally to combat issues like online grooming, starting in Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands. Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ, demonstrated that defeating this system using AI-generated video was relatively easy. A known issue with facial recognition software is that age determination algorithms are often inaccurate for non-white ethnicities.
Crypto Exploits and Web3 Grift Counter
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(00:24:44)
  • Key Takeaway: Molly White’s ‘Grift Counter’ on web3isgoinggreat.com estimates total crypto thefts since 2021 have surpassed $79.6 billion, exemplified by a recent Balancer exploit of at least $110 million.
  • Summary: The Balancer DeFi protocol was recently exploited for at least $110 million, contributing to Molly White’s running tally of crypto losses. The ‘Grift Counter’ tracks losses since 2021, currently standing at nearly $80 billion. The discussion noted that the concept of government efficiency (DOGE) is dead, but the underlying desire for oversight remains.
Cloudflare Outage Analysis
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(00:31:13)
  • Key Takeaway: The massive Cloudflare outage was self-inflicted when a configuration change to the bot management feature file doubled its size, exceeding the system’s limit and causing all related machines to crash.
  • Summary: The outage affected major sites like Spotify and OpenAI, demonstrating reliance on Cloudflare as a single point of failure. Cloudflare’s CEO, Matthew Prince, was forthright, admitting they initially thought they were under a DDoS attack but quickly realized it was a ‘foot gun’ or self-inflicted failure. The incident raises concerns about centralization, despite Cloudflare’s history of supporting open-source projects like Project Galileo.
Meta Wins FTC Antitrust Case
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(00:47:38)
  • Key Takeaway: A U.S. District Judge ruled that the FTC failed to prove Meta’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp violated antitrust law, stating the agency could not clearly define the boundaries of Meta’s product market.
  • Summary: Judge James Boesberg ruled against the FTC’s attempt to force Meta to divest Instagram and WhatsApp, noting the difficulty in defining the social networking market boundaries due to constantly shifting trends. The ruling suggests that proving continued monopoly power is a high barrier for the FTC. This outcome contrasts with Europe’s approach, which appears more willing to adjust landmark privacy and AI laws based on evolving outcomes.
AI Regulation Strategy Debate
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(00:52:30)
  • Key Takeaway: The EU is adopting a flexible, guideline-based approach to AI regulation, willing to adjust laws as problems become clear, whereas the U.S. risks enacting rigid, potentially flawed laws too early.
  • Summary: The EU is reportedly scaling back landmark AI rules, recognizing that current legislation might be based on vague threats, preferring to wait until specific abuses are identified. In contrast, the U.S. government is considering embedding AI regulation into defense appropriations bills to preempt state-level laws. California requires AI chatbots to self-identify, but the overall federal approach seems geared toward avoiding regulation, potentially influenced by AI industry lobbying.
Stablecoin Impact on Bitcoin
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(00:59:31)
  • Key Takeaway: Legitimizing stablecoins through legislation is argued to be a net positive for the crypto ecosystem, potentially boosting Bitcoin prices.
  • Summary: The discussion debated whether supporting stablecoins undermined Bitcoin, with one guest arguing that stablecoin legislation legitimized the sector, bringing more money into crypto. The strategic Bitcoin reserve is noted to primarily hold confiscated assets. The tight coupling of the crypto industry to political figures like Trump raises concerns about future industry stability if that political support wanes.
Copilot AI Advertising Failures
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(01:12:17)
  • Key Takeaway: Microsoft’s Windows Copilot AI fails basic visual and factual queries presented in its own promotional advertisements, making the computer feel incompetent.
  • Summary: Tests replicating Microsoft’s Copilot ads showed the AI struggled to identify a specific microphone model or answer a factual question about the Saturn V rocket’s thrust. When asked to perform tasks like running simulations, Copilot often deferred or provided incorrect information, suggesting general-purpose LLMs struggle when multimodal capabilities are required simultaneously.
Zorin OS and Linux Desktop Growth
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(01:20:51)
  • Key Takeaway: Negative experiences with Windows 11 features and improved compatibility layers like Proton are driving significant adoption of Linux distributions like Zorin OS among former Windows users.
  • Summary: Zorin OS, designed to look like Windows, saw 780,000 downloads from Windows users in the last month, contributing to Linux reaching approximately 4% of the desktop market. Valve’s Proton compatibility layer is making many AAA games playable on Linux, although anti-cheat software remains a barrier. One host noted that their high-end Linux setup for local AI development is significantly faster and more reliable than their Mac.
Vatican’s Closed-Form LLM Translation
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(01:25:27)
  • Key Takeaway: The Vatican is developing a local, non-SaaS Large Language Model (LLM) for translation in high-level meetings to maintain the required secrecy for religious officials.
  • Summary: Due to sensitive information, the Vatican cannot use cloud-based AI services (SaaS AI) for translation during meetings involving multiple languages. They are building a local LLM that can be used by sworn religious personnel who are bound by secrecy, aiming to replace human translators in these closed-form environments.
Fortnite Becoming a Creator Platform
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(01:27:38)
  • Key Takeaway: Epic Games is positioning Fortnite as a platform, similar to Roblox, by integrating Unity game engine support to expand its library of creator-made experiences.
  • Summary: Fortnite currently hosts nearly 200,000 creator-made ‘islands’ or standalone experiences, and allowing Unity games signals a push to become a broader platform. This move aligns with Epic Games’ broader strategy following legal battles that may allow them more control over payment systems outside of Apple and Google’s strictures.
Crypto Market Structure Legislation
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(01:47:38)
  • Key Takeaway: The crypto industry lobby is heavily influencing the drafting of overarching U.S. market structure legislation in the Senate, aiming to define regulatory jurisdiction before the political landscape shifts post-midterms.
  • Summary: The Senate is working to consolidate two different drafts of market structure bills, which aim to define which agency (SEC or CFTC) oversees crypto assets. Industry executives are actively meeting with senators to shape the legislation, fearing that a less crypto-friendly Congress after the midterms could derail progress. Recent controversies involving political figures and crypto are complicating Republican efforts to pass industry-friendly bills.
SEC Dismisses SolarWinds CISO Case
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(01:39:11)
  • Key Takeaway: The SEC dismissed its case against the SolarWinds CISO regarding the massive 2020 cyberattack because existing securities laws were insufficient to prosecute the failure to disclose the breach promptly.
  • Summary: The SolarWinds hack, attributed to Russian state-sponsored actors (APT 29), involved malicious updates sent to 18,000 customers over 14 months before public discovery. The SEC sued the company and CISO for concealing vulnerabilities, but the judge dismissed charges, noting a lack of clear laws holding executives criminally liable for delayed breach disclosure. This outcome raises questions about accountability for CTOs compared to CFOs regarding security failures.
Google Ad Tech Monopoly Ruling
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(02:00:46)
  • Key Takeaway: Judge Leonie Brinkema is prioritizing a penalty ruling against Google’s ad tech monopoly before an appeal can stall enforcement.
  • Summary: The judge in the DOJ’s lawsuit against Google’s ad tech monopoly wants to issue a penalty ruling quickly, stating ‘Time is of the essence’ to prevent Google from delaying remedies through an appeal. The DOJ requested that Google be forced to sell its ad exchange, AdEx, arguing this forced sale is necessary for a competitive open web. Google’s attorney argued that forcing a sale would be extreme and harm customers.
Musk’s Utopian End of Work
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(02:09:28)
  • Key Takeaway: Elon Musk predicts human labor will become optional within 10-20 years due to AI and humanoid robots, rendering money irrelevant.
  • Summary: Musk suggested that Tesla’s Optimus robots would eventually handle all necessary work, leading to a future where money is irrelevant. This prediction is viewed as part of a broader tech giant goal to eliminate entire worker classes without necessarily supporting Universal Basic Income. The hosts noted the implausibility of this timeline, citing Tesla’s past struggles with autonomous assembly lines.
Humanoid Robot Hype and Reality
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(02:13:33)
  • Key Takeaway: Current humanoid robots are largely hype, often requiring remote human operators for complex tasks like unloading dishwashers.
  • Summary: Reports suggest that many advertised robot capabilities, such as unloading dishwashers, are actually being performed by humans remotely controlling the machines. Even specialized robots like robot vacuums remain buggy after two decades, making the promise of general-purpose humanoid robots in the near term seem implausible. Financial interests drive companies like Tesla and NVIDIA to promote this robotic future aggressively.
Police Deployment of Boston Dynamics Robots
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(02:15:41)
  • Key Takeaway: Over 2,000 Boston Dynamics SPOT robot dogs are now deployed globally, including in over 60 US and Canadian bomb squads and SWAT teams.
  • Summary: SPOT robots are being used by law enforcement for tasks like assessing chemical waste accidents and approaching armed suspects, sometimes deploying smoke bombs. The units cost around $100,000 each, and their deployment in policing scenarios evokes comparisons to fictional entities like ED-209 from RoboCop. The hosts questioned the long-term security implications of deploying networked robots that could potentially be hacked.
Jesuit App and Vatican Tech Engagement
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(02:23:06)
  • Key Takeaway: Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ, helped create the free Jesuit Pilgrimage app featuring VR tours of historical sites.
  • Summary: The Jesuit Pilgrimage app maps the routes of St. Ignatius of Loyola in Rome and Spain, offering users a guided pilgrimage experience with VR tours of significant churches. The app is available in about 20 languages and has been surprisingly well-received, demonstrating the Church’s embrace of modern technology. The Vatican is actively hosting numerous conferences on AI across various sectors, focusing on positive applications rather than just risks.
Molly White’s Wikipedia Work
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(02:25:33)
  • Key Takeaway: Molly White contributes to Wikipedia using automated tools to review and correct incoming edits, highlighting the platform’s collaborative value.
  • Summary: White patrols Wikipedia edits, using automated tools to review changes and maintain article quality across its 93 million English articles. She credits Wikipedia’s founder, Jimmy Wales, as a pivotal figure in demonstrating the internet’s potential for valuable, collaborative creation. Wales was motivated to create the platform after realizing reliable information was unavailable during his daughter’s medical crisis.
Healthcare Privatization Concerns
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(02:35:19)
  • Key Takeaway: The convergence of tech industry influence in healthcare and political focus on lowering drug costs suggests a potential tipping point toward healthcare privatization.
  • Summary: Wesley Faulkner noted that recent focus on lowering drug costs (like GLP-1s) alongside tech companies’ involvement in health services raises concerns about privatization over socialization of healthcare. He referenced Mark Cuban’s low-cost drug store as an example of private intervention in the market. The discussion touched on Trump’s proposed healthcare plan involving direct payments, which could create new avenues for private entities to manage funds.