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Just weeks before Australia’s social media ban for users under 16 takes effect, the country’s watchdog, eSafety, has added Twitch to the list of banned platforms. Pinterest, however, was excluded, in line with Australia’s Social Media Minimum Age (SMMA) rules. Twitch will no longer allow Australians under 16 to create accounts starting December 10, a Twitch spokesperson told TechCrunch. Existing accounts for users under 16 will be deactivated on January 9. Globally, Twitch is open to users 13 and older, and anyone under the legal age of adulthood in their region must have a parent or guardian involved, the spokesperson…

The Federal Communications Commission voted 2-1 along party lines on Thursday to scrap rules that required U.S. phone and internet giants to meet certain minimum cybersecurity requirements. The FCC’s two Trump-appointed commissioners, chairman Brendan Carr and his Republican colleague Olivia Trusty, voted to withdraw the rules that require telecommunications carriers to “secure their networks from unlawful access or interception of communications.” The Biden administration had adopted these rules prior to leaving office earlier this year. The FCC’s sole Democratic commissioner, Anna Gomez, dissented. In a statement following the vote, Gomez called the now-overturned rules the “only meaningful effort this agency…

Disneyland After Dark events are separate ticketed, themed evenings with access to Disneyland after-hours and featuring attractions, Disney characters, entertainment, food, beverage and special merchandise.Running select nights from January through June 2026, the events sport four returning themes and one all-new theme for a night of Disney magic.Disneyland After Dark Ticket This event runs from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. after the park’s regular closure. With a pre-party mix-in, guests may enter as early as 6 p.m. Unlimited digital downloads of Disney PhotoPass shots and a commemorative event guide are also included with admission.Disneyland After Dark Sweethearts’ NiteThis joyful celebration…

SpaceX rolled out an upgraded version of its Starship rocket booster in South Texas on Thursday to begin testing, and just a few hours later, something inside it exploded. Livestreamers who watch SpaceX’s Starbase complex closely caught the explosion in the pre-dawn hours Friday, around 4:00 a.m. local time. Other creators in the area have since captured photos that offer a closer look at the damage. Unlike the more fireball-type explosions SpaceX has dealt with while developing its rockets in the past, this one appears to have blown out an entire side of the lower section of the booster —…

The Trump administration revealed this week a revamped organizational chart for the Department of Energy, one which dumps several offices focused on renewable energy while elevating fusion. The shakeup eliminates the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED), the Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains, the Office of State and Community Energy Programs, the Grid Deployment Office, and the Office of Federal Energy Management programs.  On the other side of the ledger, the DOE has created a new Office of Fusion and merged geothermal and fossil fuels under the Hydrocarbons and…

Southwest Airlines is gearing up to introduce assigned seating in just over two months.The low-cost carrier will say goodbye to its polarizing open seating policy on January 27, 2026, when travelers will be met by an all-new gate experience and streamlined boarding process. “Gate areas will be converted in a phased approach, beginning the evening of January 26,” the airline confirmed.”It will take approximately 60 days to remove the numbered stanchions from all airports. The stanchions that are not removed overnight on January 26 will have their numbers removed or covered so they are not visible by the morning of…

In the early days of social media, posting a rant about the latest episode of “Grey’s Anatomy” on Myspace felt like the ultimate Thursday night activity. And discovering a Facebook group called “Team Jacob Forever” was one of the best finds. Nowadays, finding that perfect niche community can seem impossible, but a new social app called Phictly aims to change that. Available on iOS and Android devices, the app lets users form clubs centered on their favorite books, TV shows, and movies, creating niche communities where people can discuss their specific interests without judgment. For instance, users can dive into…

A Texas A&M committee agreed that the university was wrong to fire a professor earlier this year after a controversy over a classroom video that showed a student objecting to a children’s literature lesson about gender identity.The internal committee ruled that the university didn’t follow proper procedures and didn’t prove there was good cause to fire Melissa McCoul, who was a senior lecturer in the English department with over a decade of teaching experience. Republican lawmakers, including Gov. Greg Abbott, had called for her termination after seeing the video.The committee unanimously voted earlier this week that “the summary dismissal of…

Villas of Distinction is unveiling lucrative Cyber Week promotions that benefit both travel advisors and their clients, enabling agents to earn up to $5,000 in bonus commissions and providing clients with $2,000 in cash back on villa bookings.The promotion is valid for bookings made between Nov. 23 and Dec. 6, 2025, for travel between November 24, 2025, and December 31, 2026. “Both promotions are payable upon deposit,” the company said.Advisors will earn $100 on villas with a base between $5,000-$9,999; $250 with a base cost between $10,000 and $24,999; $500 for base cost between $25,000 and  $49,999; $1,000 for base…

Hi, thanks as always for reading TechCrunch. We want to talk with you quickly about something important. A growing number of scammers are impersonating TechCrunch reporters and event leads and reaching out to companies, pretending to be our staff when they absolutely are not. These bad actors are using our name and reputation to try to dupe unsuspecting businesses. It drives us crazy and infuriates us on your behalf. It ebbs and flows. Judging by the increased number of emails we’re receiving, asking, “Does this person really work for you?” it appears to be happening more actively at the moment.…