Anil Dash:
Instagram's limit of allowing one web link for users as a “Link in Bio” is a slow knife - a subtle, pervasive attempt to kill the open web  —  We don't even notice it anymore — “link in bio”.  It's a pithy phrase, usually found on Instagram, which directs an audience to be aware …

Jeff John Roberts / Fortune:
Researchers claim they used 3D masks and photos to deceive facial recognition systems used by Alipay, WeChat Pay, Schiphol Airport, and train stations in China  —  Masks and simple photographs are enough to fool some facial recognition technology, highlighting a major shortcoming in what is billed as a more effective security tool.

Manish Singh / TechCrunch:
Reliance Industries has acquired an 85% stake in NowFloats, an Indian startup that helps small businesses and individuals build an online presence, for ~$20M  —  Reliance Industries, one of India's largest industrial houses, has acquired a majority stake in NowFloats, an Indian startup …

Amanda Mull / The Atlantic:
How the concept of free shipping forces small e-commerce businesses to eat the cost of shipping, as large sellers like Amazon do so at scale  —  How retailers hide the costs of delivery—and why we're such suckers for their ploys  —  It was a pair of feather earrings that helped Ann Miceli get out from underneath strangers' cars.

Michael Sheetz / CNBC:
Morgan Stanley estimates Amazon is delivering half of its US packages, will soon pass UPS and FedEx in total volume, at a current rate of 2.5B packages a year  —  - Amazon Logistics is the e-commerce giant's in-house logistics operation.  — “Our AlphaWise analysis shows …

Reuters:
Congressional panel chair asks Apple and Google if app devs are required to disclose any non-US ties, amid concerns of Chinese investment in apps like TikTok  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The chair of a U.S. congressional panel wrote to Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) Google and to Apple (AAPL.O) …

Michael Hytha / Bloomberg:
Ping An's financial technology arm OneConnect closes flat on its first day of trading after raising $312M in its US IPO, which valued the company at $3.66B  —  - Shares close first day of trading at its $10 offer price  — Software company Bill.Com's performance tops week's U.S. IPOs

Brian Deagon / Investor's Business Daily:
Social media management startup Sprout Social closes down 2.4% on its first day of trading after raising $150M in its IPO, which valued the company at $814M  —  Sprout Social (SPT) climbed then fell on its first day of trading Friday with an initial public offering that raised $150 million …

Sam Danley / Food Business News:
Zippin raises $12M Series A led by Evolv Ventures, Kraft Heinz's VC arm, for Zippin Cube, a modular, prefabricated cashierless “store-in-a-box”  —  SAN FRANCISCO —Zippin, a start-up focused on cashierless checkout for brick and mortar retail, secured $12 million in a Series …

Li Yuan / New York Times:
Liu Jingyao, the college student who accused JD.com founder Richard Lui of rape, describes what it's like to be slut-shamed by the Chinese internet  —  Liu Jingyao, a college student, describes what it's like to be slut-shamed by 800 million people.  —  MINNEAPOLIS — When Liu Jingyao introduced herself …

Polina Marinova / Fortune:
WeWork sells SEO startup Conductor, which it bought for $113.6M, back to its management team, shuts down Spacious, which it acquired for $42.5M four months ago  —  As WeWork looks to sort out its future, the flashy startups it acquired are also seeking a new path forward.

Ashley Carman / The Verge:
Apple and Spotify podcasts are available through Alexa-enabled devices in the US, starting today  —  Sad for HomePod  —  Starting today, Apple Podcasts is available through Amazon Alexa-enabled devices like Echo speakers.  People just have to say, “Alexa, play (insert show name here) on Apple Podcasts” to get a program.

Manish Singh / TechCrunch:
India shuts down internet in two states that are home to 32M people, after protests over a citizenship bill, as Kashmir shutdown continues into its fourth month  —  India maintained a shutdown of the internet in the states of Assam and Meghalaya on Friday, now into 36 hours …

Dean Takahashi / VentureBeat:
Game.tv raises $25M Series A led by Intel Capital for Tourney, its rapidly growing AI-powered esports platform focused on small gaming communities  —  Game.tv has raised $25 million in funding to build out Tourney, its AI-powered esports tournament platform for mobile games.

Richard Nieva / CNET:
Google says it has captured more than 10M miles of Street View imagery, and, via Google Earth, mapped out the parts of the world where 98% of people live  —  If Google were to have a mascot, it might be the Street View car, with its towering camera rig and corporate logo exterior.  There's good reason for that.