This Week in Tech 1059: "I'm Interested in Your Toolset"

Date: November 24, 2025
Host: Leo Laporte
Guests: Father Robert Balisar, Molly White, Wesley Faulkner

Episode Overview

This episode of "This Week in Tech" features an expert panel—Father Robert Balisar (Digital Jesuit), Molly White (Web3 Is Going Just Great), and Wesley Faulkner (works-not-working.com)—discussing critical developments in tech policy, security, social media regulation, cloud reliability, crypto, AI, robotics, and more. The tone as always is lively, informed, and just irreverent enough to keep listeners engaged through topics ranging from blockchain indulgences to the societal impact of bipedal robots.

Main Topics & Insights

1. Panel Introductions and Banter

Welcomes Wesley Faulkner, discussing his upcoming project works-not-working.com (27:06), Molly White and her crypto-critical work (01:16), Father Robert Balisar live from Vatican City (02:05).
Jovial banter about Vatican indulgences—setting the tone for a mix of insight and levity.
- “Have you considered putting them on the blockchain?” — Molly White (04:46)

2. Social Media Regulation for Minors

Ban in Australia & Global Trends

Australia’s ban on social media for under-16s, with similar laws coming in France, Denmark, Norway, and Spain (12:12, 14:26).
Discussion:
- Concerns about how age verification is implemented (video selfies for Roblox, device APIs, parental controls).
  - “Roblox is now requiring kids to submit video selfies for age verification. Is that a good idea?” — Leo (20:54)
  - “I actually used AI to code a way around this in about... 5 minutes.” — Fr. Robert (21:25)
- Equity/access: Tech-savvy or affluent kids will find VPN workarounds but vulnerable populations may be unfairly excluded (14:08).
- Parental and privacy complications, with platforms resisting responsibility.
  - “Apple has my age. Apple could enforce laws like this. I think eventually they'll be forced to do so.” — Leo (18:51)

3. The State of Social Media: X/Twitter's Flawed Geography Feature

Brief lived rollout showing location of accounts revealed foreign-run influencer campaigns on both sides (05:36, 07:28).
- “It's a den of trolls.” — Fr. Robert (08:16)
Panel’s personal use:
- Fr. Robert: off X for over a year, cites improved wellbeing (08:21).
- Molly: only uses X for crypto research, mostly syndicates elsewhere (08:38).
- Wesley: left X, but notes professional dependence persists for those in Developer Relations and marketing (10:10).

4. Cloudflare Outage & Cloud Fragility

Recent outage caused by a bot management misconfiguration, highlighting the risk of single points of failure in the cloud stack (31:57–37:44).
Benefits and risks of using centralized infrastructure:
- “...if there's a single point of failure, that's always risky. But this is how the cloud is.”—Leo (37:31)
- Fr. Robert recounts Cloudflare’s free DDoS protection through Project Galileo (36:56).
Discussion about Cloudflare and Google’s centralizing power and their choices impacting the entire internet (38:54).

5. Crypto and Regulatory Developments

Molly’s "Web3 Is Going Just Great" grift counter: $79.6B in known crypto exploits since 2021—"and that's a low estimate" (25:21).
Court ruling in Meta’s favor over Instagram/WhatsApp acquisitions (49:34).
- US courts deem FTC failed to show Meta’s current monopoly; similar deference seen in Google’s search case.
- “I think this doesn't also bolster the case that things should be intervened earlier, which I think is the logical conclusion.” — Wesley (49:05)
US/EU digital regulation differences: EU’s more iterative approach vs. US’s stasis and ‘patchwork’ risk with decentralized state laws (52:54).

6. AI & Algorithmic Regulation

Discussion on the dangers of knee-jerk regulation for AI (53:09).
- “Trying to legislate either through putting something into an appropriations bill or making a straight up law is probably not a great idea at the moment.” — Fr. Robert (56:57)
Rise of Super PACs for AI, similarities with crypto lobbying (59:11).
AI in consumer OS: Windows Copilot’s weakness exposed by the Verge (75:10).
- “It's a moron. It's basically Siri or Amazon's Alexa. They're all morons.” — Leo (75:10)
- “It's simultaneously mind blowingly good and horrifically stupid.” — Leo (79:22)

7. Shift to Linux & Desktop Computing

Zorin OS sees 1 million downloads by Windows users post-Win 10 EOS (81:09).
- “Linux is now up to, I think, 4% of desktops, which is kind of remarkable.”—Leo (81:44)
Gaming on Linux, Steam machine, and structural changes in desktop use; barriers like Adobe suite remain.

8. Work, Automation, and AI Hype

Elon Musk’s claims that AI/robots will make work optional in 10–20 years (129:28), framed as self-serving tech industry hype.
- “I am increasingly convinced that Elon and people in his echelon don’t know what jobs or what people do for work.” — Molly (132:03)
The panel is skeptical about the technical readiness of humanoid robots (133:32) and the real social/economic agenda behind the hype.

9. Robotics in Law Enforcement

Boston Dynamics’ "Spot" dog robots being deployed in policing and bomb squads (135:40, 137:13).
Panel humor and gentle dystopian skepticism about sentient robots remembering engineers who kicked them.

10. Security, Crypto, and Election Key Management

Anecdote: Cryptographers lose their own election keys, unable to recover results due to lost decryption key share (97:41).
- “Humans are the worst part in that chain.” — Fr. Robert (97:49)
SEC drops SolarWinds case, revealing regulatory limitations in prosecuting cyber-negligence (98:52, 100:25).

11. Crypto Legislation Dynamics

Molly’s main worry: the crypto industry's aggressive lobbying for market structure regulation before midterms (107:54, 109:47).
- “I think part of the reason we haven’t heard about [the bill] is because a lot of the crypto news that we get, especially in sort of mainstream media, has been focused on Trump’s crypto corruption, which has, frankly, thrown a bit of a wrench into a lot of the legislation.” — Molly (110:51)
Bitcoin market’s flash crash and its interplay with equities (113:13).

12. Thanksgiving and Closing Thoughts

Warm, friendly discussion about Thanksgiving traditions, cooking tips, and the little joys of family and good food (165:00–171:40).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Blockchain Indulgences
- Molly: “Have you considered putting them on the blockchain?” (04:46)
- Fr. Robert: “That actually was in an early Planning meeting… If we wanted to put it on the blockchain.” (04:54)
On Social Media Bots
- Fr. Robert: “It’s a den of trolls.” (08:16)
On X’s (Twitter) Transformation
- Leo: “A verified account…traced to Eastern Europe. Of course, if blue check doesn’t mean what it used to, does it?” (07:43)
Cloudflare’s Outage Honesty
- Leo: “That’s one thing we like about Cloudflare. They’re very forthright.” (34:40)
- Wesley: “Any point of failure in any link in the chain that’s broken could cause issues, and that’s externally and internally.” (37:44)
Crypto Cynicism
- Molly (about her grift counter): “Since I started the site in 2021—four years. And that’s a really…much lower estimate than most analyses of crypto thefts.” (25:21)
On the Limits of AI
- Leo: “It’s simultaneously mind blowingly good and horrifically stupid.” (79:22)
- Wesley: “This thing is so buggy…” (78:02)
- Molly: "I have never seen the use case of like 90% of the voice activated agents. Like I, I don't want to talk to my laptop. It has a keyboard." (78:28)
On AI Risk & Regulation
- Fr. Robert: “Trying to legislate either through putting something into an appropriations bill or making a straight up law is probably not a great idea at the moment.” (56:57)
- Molly: "I have a little bit more confidence in the state's ability to regulate. At this current moment, I don't think the feds have any interest in regulating AI at all right now." (54:49)
Crypto/Congressional Comedy
- Leo (re: SBF appeal): “What about a part? I mean, I know Trump pardoned Binance’s founder, but that’s got to be a bridge too far to pardon SBF.” (118:20)

Important Timestamps

Panel introduction (00:00–03:00)
Indulgences/blockchain joke (04:46)
Social media bans for minors / Global policy (12:12–16:00)
Roblox video-matching controversy (20:54–23:35)
Cloudflare outage debrief (31:57–38:54)
Meta antitrust court decision (49:34)
US/EU regulation differences (52:54)
Windows Copilot ads fail / Gemini 3 comparison (75:10–78:28)
Zorin Linux popularity (81:09)
Elon’s AI/robotics future claims (129:28)
Law enforcement robots (137:13)
SEC/SolarWinds security failure saga (99:05–100:25)
Crypto market structure legislation (Molly’s focus) (107:54–110:25)
Thanksgiving traditions and closing banter (165:00–172:00)

Tone and Final Thoughts

The show remains true to TWiT’s classic mix: sharp, wry, and both technically and socially astute. The experienced panel supplies not just reporting but real perspective. Key aspects are skepticism toward hype (Crypto, AI, Humanoid Robotics), concern for the social impact of tech, and appreciation for the ways regulation and infrastructure shape our experience online.

For Further Reading/Following:

Web3 Is Going Just Great – Molly White
Works Not Working – Wesley Faulkner
Jesuit Pilgrimage App (iOS/Android) – Mentioned by Fr. Robert

If you missed this episode: expect insight, laughs, and a comprehensive look at the tech news that matters—with a healthy dose of skepticism and some great Thanksgiving stuffing tips on the side.

This Week in Tech 1059: "I'm Interested in Your Toolset"

Date: November 24, 2025
Host: Leo Laporte
Guests: Father Robert Balisar, Molly White, Wesley Faulkner

Episode Overview

Main Topics & Insights

1. Panel Introductions and Banter

Welcomes Wesley Faulkner, discussing his upcoming project works-not-working.com (27:06), Molly White and her crypto-critical work (01:16), Father Robert Balisar live from Vatican City (02:05).
Jovial banter about Vatican indulgences—setting the tone for a mix of insight and levity.
- “Have you considered putting them on the blockchain?” — Molly White (04:46)

2. Social Media Regulation for Minors

Ban in Australia & Global Trends

Australia’s ban on social media for under-16s, with similar laws coming in France, Denmark, Norway, and Spain (12:12, 14:26).
Discussion:
- Concerns about how age verification is implemented (video selfies for Roblox, device APIs, parental controls).
  - “Roblox is now requiring kids to submit video selfies for age verification. Is that a good idea?” — Leo (20:54)
  - “I actually used AI to code a way around this in about... 5 minutes.” — Fr. Robert (21:25)
- Equity/access: Tech-savvy or affluent kids will find VPN workarounds but vulnerable populations may be unfairly excluded (14:08).
- Parental and privacy complications, with platforms resisting responsibility.
  - “Apple has my age. Apple could enforce laws like this. I think eventually they'll be forced to do so.” — Leo (18:51)

3. The State of Social Media: X/Twitter's Flawed Geography Feature

Brief lived rollout showing location of accounts revealed foreign-run influencer campaigns on both sides (05:36, 07:28).
- “It's a den of trolls.” — Fr. Robert (08:16)
Panel’s personal use:
- Fr. Robert: off X for over a year, cites improved wellbeing (08:21).
- Molly: only uses X for crypto research, mostly syndicates elsewhere (08:38).
- Wesley: left X, but notes professional dependence persists for those in Developer Relations and marketing (10:10).

4. Cloudflare Outage & Cloud Fragility

Recent outage caused by a bot management misconfiguration, highlighting the risk of single points of failure in the cloud stack (31:57–37:44).
Benefits and risks of using centralized infrastructure:
- “...if there's a single point of failure, that's always risky. But this is how the cloud is.”—Leo (37:31)
- Fr. Robert recounts Cloudflare’s free DDoS protection through Project Galileo (36:56).
Discussion about Cloudflare and Google’s centralizing power and their choices impacting the entire internet (38:54).

5. Crypto and Regulatory Developments

Molly’s "Web3 Is Going Just Great" grift counter: $79.6B in known crypto exploits since 2021—"and that's a low estimate" (25:21).
Court ruling in Meta’s favor over Instagram/WhatsApp acquisitions (49:34).
- US courts deem FTC failed to show Meta’s current monopoly; similar deference seen in Google’s search case.
- “I think this doesn't also bolster the case that things should be intervened earlier, which I think is the logical conclusion.” — Wesley (49:05)
US/EU digital regulation differences: EU’s more iterative approach vs. US’s stasis and ‘patchwork’ risk with decentralized state laws (52:54).

6. AI & Algorithmic Regulation

Discussion on the dangers of knee-jerk regulation for AI (53:09).
- “Trying to legislate either through putting something into an appropriations bill or making a straight up law is probably not a great idea at the moment.” — Fr. Robert (56:57)
Rise of Super PACs for AI, similarities with crypto lobbying (59:11).
AI in consumer OS: Windows Copilot’s weakness exposed by the Verge (75:10).
- “It's a moron. It's basically Siri or Amazon's Alexa. They're all morons.” — Leo (75:10)
- “It's simultaneously mind blowingly good and horrifically stupid.” — Leo (79:22)

7. Shift to Linux & Desktop Computing

Zorin OS sees 1 million downloads by Windows users post-Win 10 EOS (81:09).
- “Linux is now up to, I think, 4% of desktops, which is kind of remarkable.”—Leo (81:44)
Gaming on Linux, Steam machine, and structural changes in desktop use; barriers like Adobe suite remain.

8. Work, Automation, and AI Hype

Elon Musk’s claims that AI/robots will make work optional in 10–20 years (129:28), framed as self-serving tech industry hype.
- “I am increasingly convinced that Elon and people in his echelon don’t know what jobs or what people do for work.” — Molly (132:03)
The panel is skeptical about the technical readiness of humanoid robots (133:32) and the real social/economic agenda behind the hype.

9. Robotics in Law Enforcement

Boston Dynamics’ "Spot" dog robots being deployed in policing and bomb squads (135:40, 137:13).
Panel humor and gentle dystopian skepticism about sentient robots remembering engineers who kicked them.

10. Security, Crypto, and Election Key Management

Anecdote: Cryptographers lose their own election keys, unable to recover results due to lost decryption key share (97:41).
- “Humans are the worst part in that chain.” — Fr. Robert (97:49)
SEC drops SolarWinds case, revealing regulatory limitations in prosecuting cyber-negligence (98:52, 100:25).

11. Crypto Legislation Dynamics

Molly’s main worry: the crypto industry's aggressive lobbying for market structure regulation before midterms (107:54, 109:47).
- “I think part of the reason we haven’t heard about [the bill] is because a lot of the crypto news that we get, especially in sort of mainstream media, has been focused on Trump’s crypto corruption, which has, frankly, thrown a bit of a wrench into a lot of the legislation.” — Molly (110:51)
Bitcoin market’s flash crash and its interplay with equities (113:13).

12. Thanksgiving and Closing Thoughts

Warm, friendly discussion about Thanksgiving traditions, cooking tips, and the little joys of family and good food (165:00–171:40).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Blockchain Indulgences
- Molly: “Have you considered putting them on the blockchain?” (04:46)
- Fr. Robert: “That actually was in an early Planning meeting… If we wanted to put it on the blockchain.” (04:54)
On Social Media Bots
- Fr. Robert: “It’s a den of trolls.” (08:16)
On X’s (Twitter) Transformation
- Leo: “A verified account…traced to Eastern Europe. Of course, if blue check doesn’t mean what it used to, does it?” (07:43)
Cloudflare’s Outage Honesty
- Leo: “That’s one thing we like about Cloudflare. They’re very forthright.” (34:40)
- Wesley: “Any point of failure in any link in the chain that’s broken could cause issues, and that’s externally and internally.” (37:44)
Crypto Cynicism
- Molly (about her grift counter): “Since I started the site in 2021—four years. And that’s a really…much lower estimate than most analyses of crypto thefts.” (25:21)
On the Limits of AI
- Leo: “It’s simultaneously mind blowingly good and horrifically stupid.” (79:22)
- Wesley: “This thing is so buggy…” (78:02)
- Molly: "I have never seen the use case of like 90% of the voice activated agents. Like I, I don't want to talk to my laptop. It has a keyboard." (78:28)
On AI Risk & Regulation
- Fr. Robert: “Trying to legislate either through putting something into an appropriations bill or making a straight up law is probably not a great idea at the moment.” (56:57)
- Molly: "I have a little bit more confidence in the state's ability to regulate. At this current moment, I don't think the feds have any interest in regulating AI at all right now." (54:49)
Crypto/Congressional Comedy
- Leo (re: SBF appeal): “What about a part? I mean, I know Trump pardoned Binance’s founder, but that’s got to be a bridge too far to pardon SBF.” (118:20)

Important Timestamps

Panel introduction (00:00–03:00)
Indulgences/blockchain joke (04:46)
Social media bans for minors / Global policy (12:12–16:00)
Roblox video-matching controversy (20:54–23:35)
Cloudflare outage debrief (31:57–38:54)
Meta antitrust court decision (49:34)
US/EU regulation differences (52:54)
Windows Copilot ads fail / Gemini 3 comparison (75:10–78:28)
Zorin Linux popularity (81:09)
Elon’s AI/robotics future claims (129:28)
Law enforcement robots (137:13)
SEC/SolarWinds security failure saga (99:05–100:25)
Crypto market structure legislation (Molly’s focus) (107:54–110:25)
Thanksgiving traditions and closing banter (165:00–172:00)

Tone and Final Thoughts

For Further Reading/Following:

Web3 Is Going Just Great – Molly White
Works Not Working – Wesley Faulkner
Jesuit Pilgrimage App (iOS/Android) – Mentioned by Fr. Robert

If you missed this episode: expect insight, laughs, and a comprehensive look at the tech news that matters—with a healthy dose of skepticism and some great Thanksgiving stuffing tips on the side.

This Week in Tech 1059: I'm Interested in Your Toolset

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Summary

This Week in Tech 1059: "I'm Interested in Your Toolset"

Episode Overview

Main Topics & Insights

1. Panel Introductions and Banter

2. Social Media Regulation for Minors

Ban in Australia & Global Trends

3. The State of Social Media: X/Twitter's Flawed Geography Feature

4. Cloudflare Outage & Cloud Fragility

5. Crypto and Regulatory Developments

6. AI & Algorithmic Regulation

7. Shift to Linux & Desktop Computing

8. Work, Automation, and AI Hype

9. Robotics in Law Enforcement

10. Security, Crypto, and Election Key Management

11. Crypto Legislation Dynamics

12. Thanksgiving and Closing Thoughts

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Important Timestamps

Tone and Final Thoughts

For Further Reading/Following:

Summary

This Week in Tech 1059: "I'm Interested in Your Toolset"

Episode Overview

Main Topics & Insights

1. Panel Introductions and Banter

2. Social Media Regulation for Minors

Ban in Australia & Global Trends

3. The State of Social Media: X/Twitter's Flawed Geography Feature

4. Cloudflare Outage & Cloud Fragility

5. Crypto and Regulatory Developments

6. AI & Algorithmic Regulation

7. Shift to Linux & Desktop Computing

8. Work, Automation, and AI Hype

9. Robotics in Law Enforcement

10. Security, Crypto, and Election Key Management

11. Crypto Legislation Dynamics

12. Thanksgiving and Closing Thoughts

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Important Timestamps

Tone and Final Thoughts

For Further Reading/Following: