#TBOT 18: U.S. Age Verification, Apple's Digital ID, Cloudflare Takes Down The Internet

#TBOT 18: U.S. Age Verification, Apple's Digital ID, Cloudflare Takes Down The Internet

Author: The most important weekly tech news + solutions. November 25, 2025 Duration: 26:20

Here are this week’s stories:

U.S. Age Verification Laws – The Facts:States like Texas, Utah, Louisiana, and Mississippi are rolling out sweeping age-verification mandates for websites and app stores. These laws could reshape how people access software and online content—and they raise major questions about privacy, liability, and the path toward Digital ID. Check out the full story for a clear breakdown of what’s coming.

Cloudflare Outage Shakes the Internet:Cloudflare suffered its worst outage since 2019, taking nearly 20% of the internet down for hours. Canva, Uber, Spotify, X, and thousands more went dark instantly. We look at what caused the collapse, what it reveals about centralized infrastructure, and an open-source alternative that protects sites without handing the keys to a single company.

Apple’s First U.S. Digital ID:Apple quietly launched a new Digital ID system inside its Wallet app—complete with biometric “verification,” NFC passport scanning, and face-movement checks. It’s already accepted at 250 airports. This is the first mainstream Digital ID in the U.S., and Apple plans to expand it to in-person age verification next.

Share this post with your crew!

🪄 We aim for our show to be well-researched, well-informed, and focused on the most impactful stories while being concise.

We’ll be publishing full posts and clips of each of these stories soon.

This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Announcements

🎵 New Handpan Video for Source Insights SubscribersThis week’s Source Insights features a behind-the-scenes tour of a handpan factory—see how they’re made, tuned, and brought to life. Paid subscribers get exclusive access to the full video.

✍️ We’re Accepting #TBOT Contributors#TBOT is looking for creators who believe tech should serve humanity. If you can write clearly, source accurately, and highlight real solutions across tech, energy, food, or privacy, we’d love to feature your work. Submit a short sample article and apply to join our contributor crew.

🛍️ Above’s Black Friday Sale is Back!Our best sale of the year is back—with some phones up to $500 off, plus deals on laptops and bundles.

If you’re ready to upgrade your privacy gear, now is the best time.

Don’t wait—supplies of our most popular devices are extremely limited!



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tbot.substack.com/subscribe

Hakeem Anwar hosts The #TBOT Show, a weekly podcast dedicated to cutting through the noise of the tech world. Instead of just reporting headlines, this show focuses on the technology news that actually shapes your daily routine, privacy, and digital freedom, explaining why it matters in clear terms. Each episode is designed to be concise and actionable, wrapping up in under twenty minutes. You’ll hear informed analysis and straightforward recommendations on how to navigate the week’s developments. True to its mission, every installment also provides a practical takeaway: this might be a powerful open-source tool you can use, a privacy-enhancing skill to learn, or a sustainable tech solution to implement. It’s a blend of necessary context and usable insight, making it a resource for anyone who wants to understand and take back control of their tech life. Tune in for a focused, efficient update that prioritizes depth over duration, ensuring you stay informed without being overwhelmed. This podcast delivers exactly what its author promises: the most important weekly tech news paired with tangible solutions.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 80

The #TBOT Show with Hakeem Anwar
Podcast Episodes
Dan Astin Gregory and Hakeem Anwar on Abusive Software Systems [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:19
Dan and Hakeem get into how technology is being used as a system of control and the danger of dealing with abusive software. What do you think? Is technology leading us towards an Orwellian future?Support our work:https:…
Dan Astin Gregory and Hakeem Anwar on Digital ID [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:39
Dan and Hakeem discuss the evolution of the Greater Reset conference and the technology sessions at the conference. Hakeem gets into the dangers of digital ID and how to opt out of this dystopian system by using the Abov…
Join us at the People's Reset, September 27-29 in Bath, UK! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:13
Dan and Hakeem explain their student mindset when it comes to constantly learning new things and hopefully meeting new people at the coming People's Reset conference that is happening September 27-29 in Bath, UK!What do…
AI Surveillance & Pre-Crime: On the Sentient World Simulation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:12
Since 2006 the U.S. Department of Defense and Homeland Security have been working on a decidedly Orwellian computer simulation called the Sentient World Simulation (SWS). This virtual world, a kind of digital twin, is de…
Telegram CEO's Arrest, Is Telegram Still Safe? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:06
Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder and CEO of Telegram Messenger, was arrested last Saturday by French authorities. Authorities were executing an arrest warrant issued by (OFMIN), Office Mineurs which deals with offens…
VIDEO: How Does Above Phone Protect Your Data? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:13
Hakeem Anwar and Dan Astin Gregory discuss what is different about the Above Phone, how it protects you and what types of protection it offers to safeguard your personal data from surveillance and invasive tracking. Supp…
Dan Astin Gregory & Hakeem Anwar on Big Tech vs Open Source [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:49
Dan Astin Gregory and Hakeem Anwar get into the primary differences of how to distinguish between proprietary and open source technology.Support our work:https://www.tiktok.com/@takebackourtechhttps://x.com/abovephonehtt…
Dan Astin Gregory & Hakeem Anwar on Surveillance Capitalism [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:10
Dan Astin Gregory and Hakeem Anwar discuss the dangers of big tech monopolies that have no transparency and the growing dystopian applications of surveillance capitalism. Support our work:https://www.tiktok.com/@takeback…
VIDEO TUTORIAL: How to Use Telegram Without a Phone Number [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:44
Ever wonder about how you can use Telegram anonymously without a phone number attached to your identity? Hakeem Anwar from Take Back Our Tech and Above Phone breaks it down for you!Follow us:https://www.tiktok.com/@takeb…