This week on The Vergecast, Nilay Patel, Dieter Bohn, Russell Brandom, and Julia Alexander discuss the unprecedented Twitter hack that occurred this week — who was affected, how this attack could have happened, and why this is so important for the future of regulating tech companies.
Vergecast: the significance of the Twitter hack, NBC’s Peacock, and the threat of a TikTok ban
Our in-house experts explain it all
Our in-house experts explain it all


In the second half of the show, the crew discusses yet another streaming service launch this year — this time, it’s NBCUniversal’s Peacock. Julia details what stands out in this new app, the types of content it offers, and whether it’s a worthy contender in the ongoing streaming wars.
There’s a whole lot more news covered on The Vergecast this week — like the White House’s threat to ban TikTok in the US, the never-ending Xbox announcements, and the significance of Netflix getting another CEO — so listen here or in your preferred podcast player to hear it all.
Stories discussed this week:
- White House reportedly orders hospitals to bypass CDC during COVID-19 data collection
- CDC employees say the agency has a culture of ‘racial aggression’
- Etsy sellers are offering sheer mesh face masks that provide ‘very little protection’
- Seventeen states sue Trump administration over new student visa guidelines
- Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Elon Musk, Apple, and others hacked in unprecedented Twitter attack
- Twitter shut off the ability for many people to tweet after massive hack
- Twitter reveals that its own employee tools contributed to unprecedented hack
- Lawmakers demand more details on Twitter’s massive hack
- The massive Twitter hack could be a global security crisis
- Twitter says passwords were spared in yesterday’s attack, but it’s still working to restore locked accounts
- The FBI opens investigation into Twitter attack over national security concerns
- White House says restrictions on TikTok could come in ‘weeks, not months’
- TikTok’s biggest problem is outside its control
- Peacock’s interface aims to recreate the feeling of live TV, but it comes up short
- Why Peacock and HBO Max aren’t on the biggest streaming platforms
- How to stream Peacock
- Netflix names content chief Ted Sarandos as co-CEO
- Netflix adds another whopping 10 million subscribers, but warns growth may slow
- Microsoft discontinues Xbox One X and Xbox One S digital edition ahead of Series X launch
- Xbox Series X can play all Xbox One games, unless they use Kinect
- Microsoft to launch xCloud streaming free with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate in September
The Vergecast
Weekly tech roundup and interviews with major figures from the tech world.











