Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Patreon changes its monetization strategy

Monday, June 16, 2025

Welcome to TC PM! Today we have the details on the upcoming changes to Patreon; we dive into multiple pieces of news regarding Instagram; and we have an update on the UNFI hack. Happy Monday!

TechCrunch Top 3

Image Credits: Bryce Durbin / TechCrunch

💸 Pay up, creators: Creator monetization platform Patreon is changing its pricing structure. The platform used to have two tiers, one that took an 8% cut and one that took a 12% cut. Now, any account created after August 4 will have one option: a 10% cut.

✂️ That was fast: When Meta confirmed a substantial financial stake in data labeling company Scale AI last week, some people were curious to see whether this would affect Scale's business with other hyperscalers. Those people were on to something: Google may be cutting ties with the company.

💳 Fintech forever: Alexa von Tobel has a history in the fintech sector. Anthony Ha caught up with von Tobel on the 10th anniversary of selling her fintech company to discuss what she learned, what she's excited about regarding the current fintech market, and more.

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Afternoon must-reads

Image Credits: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto / Getty Images

🧵 Spoiler alert! Meta's Threads platform is testing spoiler text, a tactic used on platforms like Discord and Reddit to hide content that could potentially spoil, say, a book or movie for users by graying it out until a user decides to look at it. As a slow TV show consumer, I think every platform should have this.

💪 Call it a comeback: United Natural Foods said it is starting to make a comeback after a significant cyberattack two weeks ago. The company said it has started restoring its online electronic ordering system, which should help its customers start placing orders again.

🤔 But why? Over the past few weeks, Instagram users have been complaining about a seemingly significant uptick in accounts being banned by mistake, with many suspecting that AI automation is the cause. This ban wave has become so prominent, the Instagram Reddit page is dominated by the subject.

📸 Speaking of Instagram: In very different Instagram news, the social platform is testing letting people repost posts of their own and from others. This isn't a huge shock, as the company started developing the feature back in 2022.

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Around the web

🪧 The power of tech: Technology has played a huge role in safely connecting and organizing folks who don't agree with the Trump administration. Encrypted messaging apps like Signal, community-building platforms like Reddit, and others are helping people organize and plan acts of resistance.

💥 Chip crash out: The race for AI chip dominance is hot. Samsung may find itself falling behind. Former workers say chip designers are subject to long hours, low pay, and a hostile work culture that's sparking many of them to leave for Chinese and American competitors.