Sunday, January 19, 2025

Image Credits: Andrey Rudakov/Getty Images

A flaw in the "sign in with Google" login method could put the personal data of former employees at failed startups at risk, according to new research from Truffle Security co-founder and CEO Dylan Ayrey.

Apparently hackers could buy the domains of failed startups, then use those domains to log in to cloud software, potentially giving them access to everything from private Slack messages to Social Security numbers.

"When the founder has to deal with shutting the company down, they're probably not in a great head space to be able to think about all the things they need to be thinking about," Ayrey told Julie Bort in an interview.

Keep reading to see what else TechCrunch is covering this weekend.

Weekend news and opinion

Image Credits: Bluesky

Bluesky's moderation reports increased 17x in 2024: That growth may not be surprising for an app that only fully opened to the public less than a year ago, but Sarah Perez explains how the numbers illustrate Bluesky's challenges as it grows. Read more

Perplexity acquires Read.cv: The AI-powered search engine has acquired a social network for professionals (basically, a LinkedIn competitor). Kyle Wiggers reports that Perplexity didn't offer many details about the deal, but it seems the Read.cv product will be winding down. Read more

Character AI lets you play games with chatbots: Ivan Mehta writes that the startup, which allows people to chat with AI-powered characters, is testing desktop and mobile games that you can play with those characters. The company is starting out with two word games, Speakeasy and War of Words. Read more

What else we're reading

📗 While TikTok's long-term fate under the Trump administration remains unclear, the Hollywood Reporter looks at how platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and Snap are trying to attract the app's creators and users. But the biggest beneficiary of a TikTok shutdown may end up being Chinese apps like RedNote and Lemon8. Read more

📘 Also, Bloomberg breaks down a dispute between Walgreens and advertising startup Cooler Screens. Read more