Daily Crunch: Parler is back online

Parler returns from limbo, Uber lobbies Europe and we have more details about Notion’s outage. This is your Daily Crunch for February 15, 2021.

The big story: Parler is back online

The social network known for its far-right user base was dropped by infrastructure provider Amazon Web Services for posts advocating violence. Now it’s back online, albeit with all old posts and content removed for reasons that are currently unclear.

The company says the new site is built with “sustainable, independent technology and not reliant on so-called ‘Big Tech’ for its operations.”

In addition to a new website, Parler also has a new chief executive. Following the ouster of John Matze, Parler is now led by interim CEO Mark Meckler, founder of the Tea Party Patriots — one of the groups involved in organizing the January 6 pro-Trump demonstration that turned into a storming of the U.S. Capitol.

The tech giants

Uber lobbies for ‘Prop 22’-style gig work standards in the EU — The ride-hailing and on-demand food delivery giant has published a white paper in which it lobbies European policymakers for what it describes as a “new standard” for platform work.

GM unveils a refreshed Chevy Bolt EV and its bigger, yet compact crossover sibling — The new vehicles share much of the same DNA but have their own distinct differences.

Google slapped in France over misleading hotel star ratings — Google has agreed to pay a €1.1 million fine over misleading star ratings for hotels.

Startups, funding and venture capital

Notion’s hours-long outage was caused by phishing complaints — With the company’s domain offline, users were unable to access their files, calendars and documents.

Delivery company goPuff is in talks to acquire the UK’s Fancy — Fancy has a strikingly similar model to its potential buyer, leading some to describe it as a mini goPuff.

Private equity firm Marlin snatches up e-commerce optimization platform Lengow — For merchants using Lengow, the platform is the glue that makes all the moving parts of e-commerce stick together.

Advice and analysis from Extra Crunch

Investors’ SPAC push could revamp the private market money game — Is this venture capital’s natural evolution?

From dorm rooms to board rooms: How universities are promoting entrepreneurship — Earlier this year, 15 top U.S. universities joined forces to launch a one-stop shop where corporations and startups can discover and license patents.

The Series A deal that launched a near unicorn: Meet Accel’s Steve Loughlin and Ironclad’s Jason Boehmig — Their episode of Extra Crunch Live streams on Wednesday at 3 p.m. EST/12 p.m. PST.

(Extra Crunch is our membership program, which helps founders and startup teams get ahead. You can sign up here.)

Everything else

Examining the ‘pipeline problem’ — An AI Now researcher analyzes the history behind a common excuse for the lack of diversity in tech.

India lifts restrictions on mapping and surveying to help local firms — The Indian government said local firms will no longer need a license or other permission to collect, generate, store and share geospatial data of the country.

Meet the Black Female Founders from TC Include at TC Sessions: Justice 2021 — Don’t miss your chance to meet some founders currently participating in TechCrunch’s Include program.

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