Google promises it will not build alternate identifiers to track users after phasing out third-party tracking cookies  —  Google says it wants a ‘privacy-first web’  —  Google is slowly phasing out third-party tracking cookies, and today, it's making it clear that it won't just replace …

Arizona House passes bill HB2005, which would force Apple and Google to let apps in its app stores use alternative payment methods; bill now heads to senate  —  The bill, HB2005, opens the door for alternative payment systems on iOS and Android  —  The Arizona House of Representatives …

Netflix launches Fast Laughs, a TikTok-like feed in its mobile apps that presents a string of comedy clips from its stand-up specials, TV series, and movies  —  Netflix just made its iPhone app a little more funny-looking.  —  The streaming giant Wednesday launched Fast Laughs …

Brave acquires Tailcat, an open source search engine made by the team behind the Cliqz anti-tracking browser, and shares plans to launch Brave Search  —  Brave, the privacy-focused browser co-founded by ex-Mozilla CEO Brendan Eich, is getting ready to launch an own-brand search engine for desktop and mobile.

Indie.vc, a six-year-old effort by O'Reilly AlphaTech Ventures to invest small amounts in bootstrapped businesses, shuts down after results left LPs unimpressed  —  Indie.vc, an effort launched six years ago to invest small amounts in bootstrapped businesses, announced on Tuesday that it's winding down.

Microsoft warns users a new Chinese state-sponsored threat actor is exploiting four previously undisclosed zero days in Exchange Server; patches are available  —  Microsoft is warning customers that a new China state-sponsored threat actor is exploiting four previously undisclosed security flaws …

Facebook says that on Thursday it will lift the ban on political and social issue ads in the US, imposed after the November election  —  Facebook will finally allow advertisers to resume running political and social issue ads in the U.S. on Thursday, according to a company update.

After dropping a federal antitrust lawsuit against Amazon, Parler sues in WA state court alleging defamation and breach of contract for AWS account termination  —  The service sued to force Amazon Web Services to restore its account  —  Parler has withdrawn its antitrust lawsuit against Amazon …

Emails show US surveillance company Flock has rolled out a nationwide network of cameras with AI-powered license plate reading tech via 500+ police departments  —  Hundreds of pages of emails obtained by Motherboard show how little-known company Flock has expanded from surveilling individual neighborhoods …

Colleges requiring virus-screening tech, from virus symptom-checking apps to temperature check stations and wearables, have not rigorously studied if it works  —  Many schools that use fever scanners and symptom checkers have not rigorously studied if the technology has slowed the spread of Covid-19 on campuses.

Vestiaire Collective, an online marketplace for pre-owned luxury and fashion items, raises $216M led by luxury group Kering and is now valued at $1B+  —  Vestiaire Collective announced a new funding round.  The company has raised $216 million, or €178 million — it has reached a valuation above $1 billion, making it a unicorn.

A look at “Sharp Eyes”, a computerized video surveillance program that aims to surveil 100% of Chinese public spaces and relies largely on reports from citizens  —  The program turns neighbors into agents of the surveillance state  —  One of China's largest …

Review of Gab's open source code shows that the critical vulnerability that led to its recent breach might have been introduced by a code change made by its CTO  —  Site executive introduces, then removes, insecure code, then hides the evidence.  —  Over the weekend, word emerged …

Open source SQL database developer Yugabyte raises $48M Series C led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, nine months after a $30M Series B  —  Sunnyvale, California-based SQL database developer Yugabyte secured a $48 million funding round after seeing increased traction with large enterprise customers …

Microsoft unveils Microsoft Mesh, a mixed-reality platform on Azure, and demos a meeting service to let users join virtual rooms using devices like HoloLens 2  —  Mesh is Microsoft's vision for the future of mixed reality  —  Last week, Microsoft's Alex Kipman, the inventor of Kinect and HoloLens …

Interview with the head of Intel Labs, Dr. Richard Uhlig, on Intel's moonshot ideas involving integrated photonics, neuromorphic and quantum computing, and more  —  Some analysts consider Intel to be a processor company with manufacturing facilities - others consider it to be a manufacturing company …

Cutover, which lets teams plan, orchestrate, and analyze complex work, raises $35M led by Eldridge, bringing its total funding to $55M  —  Join Transform 2021 for the most important themes in enterprise AI & Data.  Learn more.  —  Executives are increasingly feeling the pressure of being forced …

Facebook Oversight Board member told UK Parliament that the panel feels constrained when reviewing decisions on a case-by-case basis, may seek algorithm access  —  Facebook's so-called “Supreme Court” is reportedly seeking the company's permission to examine the underlying machine-learning models …