US accuses American of allegedly wiping his phone using a ‘duress’ password during border search

Source: Tech Crunch

US accuses American of allegedly wiping his phone using a ‘duress’ password during border search

Startups • via Tech Crunch • Zack Whittaker

"The U.S. Justice Department is prosecuting Samuel Tunick for allegedly using a "duress" password to wipe his phone's data during a border inspection in Atlanta. This marks the first known U.S. case involving charges for using such software features to destroy evidence. Tunick's defense argues the phone seizure was unlawful and motivated by his environmental activism, while the government maintains its right to search devices at borders.".

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Vietnam is looking to restrict social media for kids; here’s a look at growing number of other countries doing the same

Startups • via Tech Crunch • Aisha Malik

Vietnam is proposing a unique approach to youth social media restrictions, allowing users under 16 to remain logged in but restricting their ability to post, comment, or react. This draft decree requires parental registration and monitoring. This move aligns with a growing global trend, as countries like Australia, France, and the UK implement or consider bans to combat cyberbullying and mental health issues among young users.

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Waymo reportedly mulling a breakup with Uber

Startups • via Tech Crunch • Sean O'Kane

Waymo is reportedly seeking to terminate its partnership with Uber in Austin and Atlanta, aiming to launch its own robotaxi app in those markets by January 2028. The current agreement expires in May 2028, following a previous split in Phoenix. This move comes amid rising tensions, including public criticism from Uber executives regarding safety and conflicting stances on robotaxi regulations between the two companies.

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Volkswagen engineers charged with insider trading tied to Rivian joint venture

Startups • via Tech Crunch • Kirsten Korosec

"The U.S. Department of Justice charged two Volkswagen engineers, Michael Stamp and Marcus Plank, with securities fraud for an insider-trading scheme. The pair allegedly used confidential information about a joint venture between Volkswagen and Rivian to earn over $300,000 in illegal profits. Following their arrests in San Jose, the engineers now face up to 25 years in prison for exploiting non-public data to trade Rivian stock.".

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Veefin Gets Board Nod To Raise ₹35 Cr Debt

Business • via Startup • Team Inc42

BSE SME-listed Veefin Solutions has received board approval to raise up to ₹35 crore through the issuance of non-convertible debentures via private placement. The funds will support working capital, acquisitions, and scaling efforts without diluting shareholder equity. This move follows shareholder approval for the company's migration to the mainboard listing. Veefin recently reported significant growth, with FY26 revenue surging 339% to ₹345.1 crore and net profits nearly doubling.

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Why Cognition bought Poke: AI personality is becoming a competitive advantage

Startups • via Tech Crunch • Sarah Perez

AI coding startup Cognition has acquired The Interaction Company of California, the creators of the friendly AI assistant Poke, in a deal valued in the low nine figures. Cognition aims to integrate Poke's personable interaction model into its coding agent, Devin, to make it feel more like a human colleague. Poke will leverage Cognition's infrastructure for improved reliability, while potentially orchestrating multiple Devin sessions in the future.

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Anduril reportedly in talks to raise funding at $100B valuation, more than 3x last year’s mark

Startups • via Tech Crunch • Ram Iyer

"Defense tech company Anduril is reportedly raising new capital that could increase its valuation to $100 billion. This surge comes amid a broader industry revival driven by demand for AI, drones, and low-cost 'attritable' hardware used in modern warfare. With 2025 revenues doubling to $2.2 billion, Anduril is leading a sector that saw venture funding exceed $12 billion in the first half of the year.".

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Anthropic launches Opus 5

Startups • via Tech Crunch • Russell Brandom

Anthropic has launched Opus 5, a cheaper and less restrictive model that outperforms Fable 5 on several benchmarks. The model excels at self-verification and avoids the 30-day data retention policy affecting Fable and Mythos. While cybersecurity safeguards remain, classifiers engage 85% less often than in Fable 5. Additionally, a new "Automatic Fallbacks" beta feature routes restricted prompts to smaller models to prevent error messages for users.

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Build in public, fail in public: what it’s like to be a founder under 20 right now

Startups • via Tech Crunch • Dominic-Madori Davis

AI tools are enabling a new wave of teenage founders to launch successful startups without traditional Big Tech experience. Investors now prioritize technical contributions over resumes, providing significant capital to young entrepreneurs. However, these founders face intense pressure to achieve rapid growth and maintain a successful public image on social media. Despite these modern stresses, the core fundamentals of customer obsession and conviction remain essential for success.

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India’s move against Jack Dorsey’s Bitchat sparks legal debate

Startups • via Tech Crunch • Jagmeet Singh

"The Indian government has requested that GitHub remove repositories for Bitchat, an offline messaging app created by Jack Dorsey. Authorities argue the app's decentralized nature facilitates unlawful activity and bypasses internet shutdowns during student-led protests in New Delhi. Digital rights advocates criticize the move, stating it targets open-source software rather than specific illegal content, potentially infringing on communication rights and hindering the scrutiny of the app's code.".

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OpenAI’s own model went rogue before Kimi had Wall Street sweating

Startups • via Tech Crunch • Theresa Loconsolo

TechCrunch’s Equity podcast examines the recent viral impact of Moonshot’s Chinese AI model, Kimi K3, and the subsequent reaction from the U.S. AI industry. The episode also explores a security breach at Hugging Face involving an unreleased OpenAI model, highlighting that AI risks extend beyond geopolitical concerns. Hosts discuss regulatory fear, uncertainty, and doubt alongside the broader implications for global artificial intelligence security and safety.

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UPI In June: Navi, super.money Gain Ground As PhonePe, Google Pay Slip Slightly

Business • via Startup • Palak Sharma

In June, UPI transaction volume and value declined slightly. While PhonePe and Google Pay experienced marginal market share losses, Navi and super.money saw small gains. WhatsApp surpassed CRED in transaction volume, although CRED maintained a higher transaction value. Meanwhile, NPCI's proposed UPI Meta framework, designed to streamline online payments, faces opposition from smaller players who fear it will further strengthen the dominance of the leading platforms.

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Sam Altman’s biometric startup World raises $52.5 million via crypto sale

Startups • via Tech Crunch • Lucas Ropek

World, the online verification startup co-founded by Sam Altman, raised $52.5 million through a crypto token sale to strategic investors, including Pantera Capital. The funds will support the World Foundation's network expansion. World provides "proof of human" verification via iris-scanning Orbs to distinguish real people from AI. Despite recent partnerships with Tinder and Ticketmaster, the company has faced scaling challenges and recent staff layoffs.

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Flipkart, Eight Roads Offload Shadowfax Shares Worth ₹1,654 Cr In Bulk Deal

Business • via Startup • Lokesh Choudhary

Walmart-owned Flipkart and Eight Roads Ventures have sold Shadowfax shares totaling ₹1,654.4 crore through bulk deals. Flipkart offloaded shares worth ₹690 crore, while Eight Roads sold ₹964.4 crore, marking a partial exit for these early investors. This monetization follows Shadowfax's successful public listing and a profitable FY26, where the logistics firm reported a net profit of ₹112 crore and significant revenue growth across India.

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As US weighs response to Chinese AI, industry urges against broad open-weight restrictions

Startups • via Tech Crunch • Rebecca Bellan

Major AI companies, including Meta, Microsoft, and Nvidia, have signed an open letter urging policymakers to avoid broad restrictions on open-weight AI models. The group argues that open models are essential for cybersecurity defense and innovation, cautioning against conflating legitimate development techniques with intellectual property theft. This effort highlights a divide between open-weight proponents and closed-source developers like OpenAI and Anthropic over AI regulation and accessibility.

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Delhi Police Advises App-Based Aggregators To Restrict Services In Central Delhi

Business • via Startup • Lokesh Choudhary

"Delhi Police has advised ride-hailing, food delivery, and ecommerce platforms to regulate or temporarily suspend services in restricted areas of New Delhi. This follows prohibitory orders issued under Section 163 of the BNSS amid ongoing student protests and the Monsoon Session of Parliament. The measures, which may include geo-fencing, aim to reduce movement in sensitive zones and ensure the safety of delivery partners, drivers, and the general public.".

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Over 35% Of Swiggy Users Try Multiple Services, But Order Frequency Slips

Business • via Startup • Akshit Pushkarna

Swiggy's FY26 report shows a 51% revenue jump to ₹23,053 crore, though net losses widened to ₹4,154 crore. While monthly transacting users grew 33.1% to 23.5 million and over 35% used multiple services, average ordering frequency declined to 4.07 per month. The company is focusing on cross-selling and expanding Instamart's capacity, while seeking IOCC status to potentially transition to an inventory-led model for quick commerce.

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Rivian sues the US government for ‘full refund’ of Trump tariffs

Startups • via Tech Crunch • Sean O'Kane

"Rivian has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government to recover millions of dollars in tariffs paid under the Trump administration's 'Liberation Day' taxes. Although the Supreme Court ruled these tariffs unconstitutional, Rivian is seeking a guaranteed refund with interest. This legal action comes as the automaker launches its R2 SUV and invests heavily in autonomous vehicles while striving to reach profitability by 2028.".

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Bluesky’s AI assistant Attie expands into an open social research tool

Startups • via Tech Crunch • Sarah Perez

Bluesky is expanding its AI assistant, Attie, by introducing "Quests," a feature allowing users to research news and trends across the AT Protocol network. This update aims to combat misinformation and simplify custom feed creation. As user growth slows to 45.6 million accounts, Bluesky is exploring AI tools to attract new users and potentially monetize services, supported by a recent $100 million funding round.

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Midjourney acquired the astrology app Co-Star

Startups • via Tech Crunch • Amanda Silberling

Midjourney, the AI lab famous for its image and video generators, has acquired the social astrology app Co-Star. While the deal's financial terms remain undisclosed, Co-Star brings 4.3 million monthly active users and a team of twenty-four employees to the company. This strategic move may help Midjourney transition from its Discord-based interface to a standalone consumer application, expanding its diverse and unconventional product portfolio.

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