🇨🇳 Airbnb is closing its domestic business in China

Today’s pick

Airbnb is closing its domestic business in China, sources say. All mainland Chinese listings — homes and experiences — will be taken down by this summer, but Airbnb will continue to maintain an office in the country to focus on outbound travel… (Deirdre Bosa / CNBC)

Deirdre Bosa @dee_bosa

🚨BREAKING: Airbnb to shut China business: sources All listings in mainland China will be taken off platform this summer. Co will maintain an office in Beijing Sources tell me China biz was costly & complex to operate…pandemic worsened issues & heightened impact 1/x

---

Hello? Hello? Is This Facebook? Anybody There? (Nope.). You thought you had to wait forever to speak with a customer service representative? Facebook and Instagram serve nearly 3 billion users a day with a help desk that numbers closer to zero. So pity John Bacon, a 72-year-old retiree of Cleveland… (Kirsten Grind / Wall Street Journal)

Kirsten Grind @KirstenGrind

How do you reach a real live person at FB or Instagram? You don’t. But these users sure tried everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) @WSJ ahed wsj.com/articles/hello…

---

How GDPR Is Failing. One thousand four hundred and fifty-nine days have passed since data rights nonprofit NOYB fired off its first complaints under Europe's flagship data regulation, GDPR. The complaints allege Google, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram forced people… (Matt Burgess / WIRED)

Matt Burgess @mattburgess1

New from me: Four years into GDPR, enforcement isn't exactly going to plan. I spoke with Europe's leading data regulators about what needs to happen to make GDPR more effective

wired.comHow GDPR Is FailingThe world-leading data law changed how companies work. But four years on, there’s a lag on cleaning up Big Tech.

---

Why we need a public internet and how to get one. For weeks, tech news has been dominated by billionaire Elon Musk's attempts to buy (and subsequently avoid buying) Twitter. And since Musk announced his plans in April, people have debated whether it's better for online social spaces like Twitter… (Adi Robertson / The Verge)

Ben Tarnoff @bentarnoff

I apologize for sharing a piece that contains an enormous photo of my exhausted-father face, but I'm grateful to @thedextriarchy for letting me pontificate a bit about the internet

theverge.comWhy we need a public internet and how to get one“What if every library in the US had a social media server?”

---

Conan O'Brien's Podcast Company Sells to SiriusXM in Deal Valued Around $150 Million. Conan O'Brien found a friend—and a buyer—in Sirius XM. The former late-night host sold his hit podcast, “Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend,” to the satellite-radio company, along with his Team Coco digital-media… (John Jurgensen / Wall Street Journal)

John Jurgensen @johnjurg

SCOOP: Conan O’Brien has sold Team Coco to SiriusXM Sirius gets ‘Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend’ along w the Team Coco podcast network and digital media biz Plus a 5-year talent deal with Conan—he will produce a full-time Team Coco satellite radio channel wsj.com/articles/conan…

---

Thanks for reading to the bottom and soaking in our Newslit fuelled highlights for your morning.

I hope you found it interesting and, needless to say, if you have any questions or feedback let me know by hitting reply or on Twitter.

Take care and see you tomorrow!

— Jose Montes de Oca

P.S. Was this forwarded to you? Sign up here.

---

The best way to reach new readers is word of mouth. If you click THIS LINK in your inbox, it’ll create an easy-to-send pre-written email you can just fire off to some friends.