Techmeme
February 21, 2020, 7:10 PM

Top News

Joseph Cox / VICE:
WhatsApp lets some private group chat invite links get indexed by search engines like Google, allowing anyone to join  —  Google is indexing invite links to WhatsApp group chats whose administrators may want to be private.  This means with a simple search, random people can discover and join a wide range of WhatsApp group chats.
Josh Constine / TechCrunch:
Shopify says it will join the Libra Association, contributing financially and operating a node that processes transactions of Facebook's stablecoin  —  After eBay, Visa, Stripe, and other high-profile departures, the Libra Association scored a win today with the addition of Shopify.
Jon Porter / The Verge:
Google says that from August 3 all new Google Play apps that access background location will need to pass review, expanding to all existing apps on November 3  —  Apps will face a new review process to enable the feature  —  Google is placing new restrictions on which Android apps can track …
John D. McKinnon / Wall Street Journal:
Sources: Google is resisting efforts to surrender emails, texts, and other documents sought by state investigators probing anticompetitive digital ad practices  —  Company is reluctant to surrender some documents in investigation of possible anticompetitive practices
CNBC:
Sources: Google has reached a settlement with state AGs over outside consultants hired to work on the states' antitrust investigation  —  Google has reached a settlement with state attorneys general over outside consultants hired to work on the states' antitrust investigation, CNBC has learned.
More: Seeking AlphaThanks:@mattrosoff
Madhumita Murgia / Financial Times:
MIT researchers say they used AI to discover new potent antibiotics that treat drug-resistant diseases  —  Machine learning uncovers potent new drug able to kill 35 powerful bacteria  —  Artificial intelligence has been used to discover new antibiotics effective against untreatable diseases …
Dieter Bohn / The Verge:
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip review: the best hinge on a folding phone so far but the screen's plastic covering scratches easily and the cameras are disappointing  —  Even with a glass screen, it's just a curiosity  —  Samsung's brand-new Galaxy Z Flip is the third folding screen phone that I've reviewed.
Tim Hardwick / MacRumors:
A history of EU's efforts to create a standard for device chargers, and how Apple used a loophole to keep using Lightning, but may have to move to USB-C soon  —  Despite pushback from Apple, the European Parliament in January voted overwhelmingly for new rules to establish a common charging standard …
FinSMEs:
Feather, an NY-based furniture subscription service, raises $30M Series B led by Cobalt Capital with Kleiner Perkins, YC, SV Angel, and others participating  —  Feather, a New York, NY - based next-generation furniture rental service, closed a $30M Series B funding.
The Intercept:
An EU report, circulated among EU and national officials in November 2019, calls for the creation of a network of national police facial recognition databases  —  A police investigator in Spain is trying to solve a crime, but she only has an image of a suspect's face, caught by a nearby security camera.
Steve O'Hear / TechCrunch:
Tier Mobility, an e-scooter rental service operating in 55 cities across 11 countries, extends its Series B to $100M+, up from $60M disclosed in October  —  Tier, the European e-scooter rentals startup that operates in 55 cities across 11 countries, has topped up its funding for the second time in four months.

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More News

Jay Peters / The Verge:
Nico Grant / Bloomberg:
Tom Warren / The Verge:
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Alex Sherman / CNBC:

Earlier Picks

Christopher Dring / GamesIndustry.biz:
Craig Silverman / BuzzFeed News:
Natasha Lomas / TechCrunch:
New York Times:
Jezebel: