Apple and Google Remove Banned Apps From Indian App Stores
Tech giants Apple and Google comply with a government order by blocking dozens of Chinese apps from their stores in India. Meanwhile, Palantir raises nearly a billion dollars and Venmo tests new features for small businesses.
Apple and Google comply with the Indian government's recent ban by removing dozens of Chinese applications from their respective app stores. Popular services like UC Browser, Shareit, and Club Factory are no longer accessible to users in the world's second-largest internet market. Google states that it temporarily blocks access to these apps while it reviews the official government order.
In other major tech news, big data firm Palantir secures $550 million of a targeted $961 million funding round as it eyes an autumn public listing. Additionally, Tesla reports the delivery of 90,650 vehicles in the second quarter, marking a 4.8% decline from last year but still managing to beat analyst expectations despite pandemic-related factory suspensions.
Elsewhere in the industry, Venmo begins piloting Business Profiles to give small sellers a more professional presence on its platform. Dish Network officially closes its purchase of Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile as part of the T-Mobile and Sprint merger conditions. Los Angeles investors also express optimism regarding the future of the city's startup ecosystem in a post-COVID-19 landscape.