In the span of a few years, age verification went from an idea to standard practice on large parts of the internet. Seeking to prevent kids from accessing porn, other inappropriate content, or social media altogether, laws mandating age-gating have spread rapidly across the globe, reaching the UK...
The Verge
https://www.theverge.comMired in controversy and legal woes over concerns about its chatbots' interactions with users, particularly teens, Character.AI seems to be playing it safer with a new "Books" mode. The new format lets users step inside familiar worlds for a more structured roleplaying experience, one the company...
Today on Decoder, I’m talking with Ronan Farrow, one of the biggest stars of investigative reporting working today. He broke the Harvey Weinstein story, among many, many others. And just last week, he and co-author Andrew Marantz published an incredible deep-dive feature in The New Yorker about O...
YouTube's time management settings now have an option to put a zero-minute time limit on Shorts, effectively removing them from your app in Android and iOS. The option is an update to the Shorts timer YouTube originally announced in October; the lowest previous option was 15 minutes. The feature...
Ford is shaking things up as it relates to its EV and software teams. Doug Field, who left Apple five years ago to helm Ford's multibillion-dollar bet on electric vehicles and software, is stepping down next month. Getting a promotion will be Alan Clarke, the ex-Tesla engineer who now leads Ford'...
The version posted by @realdonaldtrump/Truth Social. Hello and welcome to Regulator, a newsletter for Verge subscribers about Big Tech power plays in Washington and beyond. (And when I say beyond, I mean the great beyond, like Heaven, maybe.) If you've found your way to this newsletter from the...
Live Nation-Ticketmaster is an illegal monopolist, a Manhattan jury found, according to Bloomberg. The jury found the company liable on three counts: illegally monopolizing the market for live event ticketing, amphitheaters, and tying its concert promotions business with the use of its venues, Bl...
FTC seal. | Image: The Verge The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and a group of eight states have announced a proposed settlement with big ad agencies that will prevent them from working together to avoid certain platforms like X based on their political viewpoints. In a complaint, the FTC argu...
The Varmblixt is a smart donut-shaped light fixture that can sit on a table or be mounted on a wall. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge Ikea's popular Varmblixt lamp just got a smart home glow-up. The delightfully bulbous light now features color-changing, dimming, and smart home c...
Google is launching a new Gemini app on Mac that allows you to interact with the AI assistant without switching windows on your desktop. With the app, you can use the Option + Space shortcut to pull up a floating chat bubble, where you can ask Gemini questions and share your window. Before sharin...
Apple's $599 MacBook Neo ($499 for students) has sent shockwaves through the PC ecosystem, and now Microsoft is responding with deals targeting students in the US. A new "Microsoft College Offer" is launching today, which will see the software giant bundle 12 months of free Microsoft 365 Premium ...
The AirPods Pro 3 are $50 off, which is one of the biggest discounts we’ve seen this year. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge If you missed out on Amazon’s recent spring sales event, Best Buy’s Ultimate Upgrade Sale presents yet another opportunity to score steep discounts on some of...
The Senate is getting ready to vote on a bill to resurrect IRS Direct File, the free tax filing service axed by the Trump administration in 2025. On Wednesday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) will seek unanimous consent to pass the Direct File Act, where it will either get fast-tracked to the House ...
I've been reporting on self-driving cars for over a decade, and I've seen the technology go through many ups and downs, highs and lows. But one thing has remained remarkably the same over the years: the public just ain't buying it. Poll after poll has revealed a deep and abiding skepticism towar...
Allbirds had a hit a decade ago with its Wool Runner shoes, but after a $4 billion IPO in 2021, the business never turned a profit, and sales dropped nearly 50 percent between 2022 and 2025. The company recently announced it would sell off its name and assets for $39 million to American Exchange ...
Ever since Jack decided to stay behind in 2010, I've been searching for something to give me the same feeling that Lost did. I crave a big mystery with a huge cast and more secrets than I can handle, something that prompts me and my friends to share nonsensical theories about what's really going ...
The Onn 4K Pro’s remote looks identical to its predecessor but can now be located using your voice. | Image: Walmart It hasn't been officially announced, but Walmart's website now has a listing (you may need to set your location to Ventura, California) for an updated version of its budget-frien...
Amazon has taken the wraps off a new Fire TV Stick HD that it says is its slimmest yet. At $34.99, the device offers a design that Amazon says is 30 percent thinner than the previous generation, along with the ability to power it directly through your TV's USB port. The new design eliminates the ...
You don’t need to understand any fancy editing terms — just describe what changes you want to make. | Image: Adobe Adobe is fully embracing AI tools that enable creators to edit their work using descriptive prompts, instead of manually using specific Creative Cloud apps. The software giant's ne...
What is this, a telephoto lens for ants? Upgrading your phone with a camera grip attachment is one thing. But doll-sized telephoto lenses that you mount on top of the rear camera? C'mon. I wrote the Vivo X300 off as a gimmick, a funny concept designed to generate attention rather than actual s...