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Regulation
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Regulation. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Young women using a smartphone in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. From January 1, major social media and messaging platforms with more than eight million users in Malaysia are treated as licensed under a new online safety regime. Photo: AP
Malaysia

Malaysia moves to regulate WhatsApp, Facebook and others under online safety law

The decision to deem major platforms licensed regardless of application closes a regulatory gap, but questions remain over enforcement.

Banking & finance

Opinion | To harness crypto ingenuity, financial threat must first be neutralised

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China manufacturing

China bolsters e-cigarette regulations to smoke out non-compliance

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South Korea

In South Korea, vouchers to curb county’s falling population draw new residents

Officials in Okcheon, however, are looking to identify fake residents who change addresses without moving in.

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An angler fishing with the background of Sangchunjeong pavilion in Okcheon in North Chungcheong province, South Korea. Photo: Shutterstock
Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong to broaden crypto rules with new licences for dealers and custodians

New frameworks mooted for virtual asset dealing and custodian services, as Hong Kong forges ahead with plans to become a digital-asset hub.

Cybersecurity

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

Short-video platform’s services are thrown into chaos on Monday night after the cyberattack it blames on ‘black and grey industries’.

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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
China-EU relations

Discriminatory and egregious: China blasts EU’s subsidy crackdown

Commerce authorities vow to defend firms such as Nuctech and CRRC, while Beijing continues talks with Brussels over EV tariffs.

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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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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.

Chinese regulators are warning platforms that demanding the “lowest price” from vendors may be deemed monopolistic under new draft guidelines. Photo: Shutterstock
Electric & new energy vehicles

Beijing approves first L3 autonomous cars in leap towards ‘hands-off’ driving

The cars, both pure EVs, can only navigate urban streets and highways in designated areas, according to the ministry.

The Baidu-BAIC Arcfox robotaxi is seen on the road. Photo: Shutterstock Images
Hong Kong economy

Opinion | How Hong Kong can capitalise on Chinese creative destruction

The Greater Bay Area’s success shows that with the right environment, creative destruction can generate inclusive growth.

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China-EU relations

‘Discriminatory’: Chinese firms protest as EU steps up anti-subsidy probes

Chinese business group warns of a ‘targeted and excessive’ campaign as Brussels raids one firm and launches fresh probe against another.

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Social media

Editorial | Curbs on children’s social media use and screen time must strike a balance

The digital world is part of young people’s lives; there is a need to limit risks without depriving children of the benefits of being online.

A schoolboy looks at his phone in Melbourne on November 27, 2024. Australia will ban young teenagers from social media on December 10, launching a world-first crackdown designed to unglue children from addictive scrolling on the likes of Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Photo: AFP
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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IPO

HashKey aims for US$214 million in Hong Kong IPO amid Beijing’s crypto pressure

Retail investors oversubscribe crypto exchange operator’s offering despite China central bank’s tough stance on virtual assets.

Hong Kong

Crypto exchange Gate weighs Hong Kong licence return amid high compliance costs

Hong Kong’s policies pose some difficulties and covering the cost of operating locally is difficult, founder and CEO Lin Han says.

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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
Blockchain

Chinese industry bodies issue RWA tokenisation warning amid Beijing’s crackdown

This was the mainland associations’ first warning to members as Chinese authorities have explicitly targeted RWA tokenisation.

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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India

India scraps mandatory cybersecurity app on new phones after backlash

The Indian government confidentially ordered companies like Apple, Samsung, and Xiaomi to install the Sanchar Saathi app on their new phones.

The Sanchar Saathi app logo is seen on a phone. Photo: Reuters
Australia

Fight’s over: YouTube becomes last major platform to accept Australia’s age rule

Despite agreeing to comply, YouTube maintains that it is still ‘fundamentally different’ from other social media services.

Six-year-old Enrique Navarro watches a show on YouTube at his home in western Sydney on October 30. Photo: AFP
China's economic recovery

Beijing aims to harness state, private sectors to build ‘world-class firms’

Private firms need a stable, level playing field, with state-owned enterprises acting as anchors for strategic industries, state-asset watchdog says.

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IPO

Hong Kong crypto exchange HashKey wins listing nod in test of investor appetite

HashKey could raise around US$300 million this month amid Hong Kong’s push to develop its digital asset sector.

Jobs

Letters | To prevent an AI job apocalypse, take a leaf from immigration policy

Readers discuss managing AI like foreign hires, rewilding open spaces in Hong Kong, and economic rebalancing.

Immigration officers escort suspected illegal workers from a renovation site in Tuen Mun on January 7. Photo: Jelly Tse
Technology

Opinion | How AI, quantum and space technologies will define the Asian century

Together, they form an engine that will determine which nations shape the century ahead and which struggle to keep pace.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Australia

Snapchat makes Australian teens verify age as social media ban looms

From December 10, social media platforms in Australia must remove users aged below 16 or face fines, in one of the strictest bans globally.

European Union

Opinion | Why Asia can’t wait for Europe to lead on deforestation-free timber

Asia’s dependence on regulatory developments in Brussels risks importing the same contradictions that hinder decisive action by the EU.

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