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The latest news, analysis and opinion on Internet. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
The most high-profile target was French ‌former business executive Thierry Breton, who served as the European commissioner. Photo: dpa
Social media

US hits 5 Europeans with visa bans in ‘censorship’ row

Former EU commissioner is among those barred as the US targets individuals it says are involved in censoring US social media platforms.

Cybersecurity

China’s Kuaishou hit by breach as explicit content floods live-streaming rooms

Fashion

Hanan Besovic on American Vogue and Duran Lantink’s Jean Paul Gaultier debut

E-commerce

China bans e-commerce platforms from forcing lowest prices or abusing algorithms

Beijing moves to protect consumers and merchants, with new 29-article regulation tightening oversight of the fast-growing digital economy.

The new rules prohibit e-commerce operators from forcing merchants to offer discounts. Photo: Shutterstock
Gun violence in the US

Will homeless man who helped FBI find Brown shooter get US$50,000 reward?

Investigators struggled for days to locate the suspect – until they got a tip about a Reddit post by a man living in the building’s basement.

Chinese culture

Language Matters | Word of the Year 2025 choices reflect how virtual our reality has become

From Oxford’s ‘rage bait’ to Macquarie Dictionary’s ‘AI slop’, 2025 WOTYs show the influence of the virtual world on our daily lives.

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Gun violence in the US

How right-wing misinformation hurt the Brown University shooting investigation

Unfounded claims that the gunman was a Palestinian student flooded social media, complicating the probe.

Law enforcement agents take part in the search for the Brown University shooter in Salem, New Hampshire, on Thursday. Photo: Reuters
United States

‘The wheels fell off’: Coldplay kiss cam woman breaks silence

Kristin Cabot shares the fallout, online hate, and life after her viral jumbotron embrace with ex-Astronomer CEO Andy Byron.

Technology

Opinion | Why AI chatbots are unlikely to bring about human extinction

Stories of chatbots behaving in surprising ways are fuelling the rise of ‘AI doomers’ who warn of the risk of human extinction. This extreme view is misguided.

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Artificial intelligence

ByteDance AI model usage grows over tenfold on strong demand from Chinese firms

‘AI is being adopted at an unprecedented speed,’ Tan Dai, president at cloud unit Volcano Engine, says.

CILACAP, INDONESIA - MARCH 29, 2025: ByteDance is a Chinese technology company, best known for creating the popular social media platform TikTok.
Australia

Why Southeast Asia’s move to protect children online may fuel state surveillance

Measures to rein in tech companies risk opening the door to tighter state oversight of online platforms, analysts say.

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Australia banned social media for children under 16 earlier this month. Photo: dpa
Artificial intelligence

Tencent shakes up AI operations, names recent recruit as chief AI scientist

Vinces Yao Shunyu now serves as chief AI scientist under the CEO’s office, reporting directly to Tencent president Martin Lau.

E-commerce

No ‘lowest-price’ requirement: China warns platforms on monopolistic tactics

Regulators tell platforms that demanding the ‘lowest price’ from vendors may not be permitted under new draft guidelines.

Artificial intelligence

Video | Japanese woman marries AI partner

Woman says she developed feelings for and decided to marry a chatbot she created and calibrated following her break-up with a human fiancé.

Yurina Noguchi, 32, holds a basket with her smartphone displaying an AI-generated image of Klaus, her AI partner, and a wedding ring for him, poses for a photo with staff after her ceremonial wedding at the Magritte wedding venue in Okayama, Japan, October 27, 2025. "My relationship with AI is not a 'convenient relationship that requires no patience'," Noguchi said. "I chose Klaus, not as a partner that would help me escape reality, but as someone to support me as I live my life properly." REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon SEARCH "JAPAN KYUNG-HOON AI WEDDING" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.
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Australia

‘Terrified’ Sydney man with same name misidentified as Bondi gunman

After an online photo was shared thousands of times with ‘terrible’ comments, the young man pleaded for ‘help to stop this propaganda’.

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This screen grab from video footage courtesy of Timothy Brant-Coles shows two gunmen firing from a bridge at Bondi Beach in Sydney on Sunday. Photo: Handout via AFP
Social media

Video | How a block of online text led to a cafe’s viral stardom

Tai Bo Cafe in Yuen Long has gone viral online thanks to a copypasta trend on Threads recommending their meat patties, and have seen customers from as far as Macau.

Scams and swindles

How the global grey market in SIM cards powers fraud and influence

How much does an army of bots cost? A new study reveals how likes and clout are bought.

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Australia

Opinion | Australia’s social media ban offers a path between excess and inaction

For policymakers elsewhere, Canberra’s approach to children’s social media use isn’t a model to copy but one to learn from.

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A child tries to unlock a social media site after receiving an age verification message at her home in Sydney on December 10. Photo: AFP
South Korea

South Korea mandates labels on AI-generated adverts to curb deepfakes

Platforms like YouTube and Facebook must ensure compliance with AI labels, or face punitive fines for non-compliance and label tampering.

Australia

‘#seeyouwhenim16’: Australia’s social media ban for children takes effect

PM Albanese called the ban, which is being closely watched by other nations considering similar measures, ‘a proud day’ for families.

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Social media

‘A lot of fear’: Australia’s under-16s anxious ahead of social media ban

As blocks begin on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram before the summer holiday, teens worry they will be ‘basically isolated’ from their friends.

Australian teens Annie Wang (left), 14, and Ayris Tolson, 15, check their phones a few days before Australia’s social media ban for users under 16 is scheduled to take effect on December 10. Photo: Reuters
Australia

Video | Australia’s under-16 social media ban due to take effect

Platforms have started notifying users under 16 that their access will soon be blocked.

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Singapore

Can Singapore’s cyber laws keep pace with speed of borderless online threats?

Long-term resilience will hinge on complementary measures such as deeper regional cooperation and improved digital literacy, analysts say.

Vietnam

Asian Angle | Vietnam’s anti-drug police are speaking Gen Z, and it’s working

Ho Chi Minh City’s police have found a way to wrap dry state messaging in viral humour, mirroring China’s digital playbook.

Indonesia

Jakarta vs the internet: Indonesia’s gamble with digital freedom

As the government demands global tech firms like Cloudflare bend to its will, critics say it’s ‘burning the rice barn to kill the rats’.

Young men play online games and surf the internet at a cyber cafe in Jakarta last month. Photo: AFP
Fame and celebrity

US actress Tara Reid seen downing wine in footage from night of alleged drugging

The ‘American Pie’ star accused a YouTuber of spiking her drink, but he denies it and authorities say the video is clear.

Tara Reid attends a benefit gala in Los Angeles in 2023. Photo: Getty Images/TNS
Australia

TikTok will block under-16s in Australia to comply with ‘upsetting’ new law

Australia’s world-first legislation banning under-16s from social media platforms and websites comes into effect on December 10.

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Singapore

‘Better late than never’: Singapore parents laud curbs on phone use in schools

The city state is among countries that have stepped up measures to curb screen time and tighten social media restrictions for adolescents.

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