https://www.scmp.com/rss/19559/feed Launched in February 2004, Facebook is a social networking service founded by Mark Zuckerberg with his college roommates and fellow students Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes. Early investors included Microsoft and Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka- shing, through his namesake charitable foundation. In November 2021, Facebook Inc was renamed Meta Platforms Inc. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Reuters Reuters A trial beginning ⁠in New Mexico on Monday could prompt a judge to order sweeping changes ⁠to how Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp operate – a move Meta Platforms has warned could force it to withdraw from the state. The case, which will be tried before a judge in Santa Fe, stems from a lawsuit filed by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, a Democrat, accusing the social media giant of designing its products to addict young users and failing to protect children from sexual exploitation on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352224/new-mexico-trial-citing-public-nuisance-laws-against-meta-social-platforms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352224/new-mexico-trial-citing-public-nuisance-laws-against-meta-social-platforms?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 10:31:24 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Roblox, a gaming platform popular with kids, announced Thursday that children under 16 in Indonesia will be required to undergo facial scans to verify their age to comply with new restrictions on minors’ use of social media and digital platforms in the country. Nicky Jackson Colaco, Roblox’s vice-president and global head of public policy, announced the changes in a press conference in Jakarta, describing them among the strictest that the company has implemented anywhere in the world. She said... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352066/gaming-platform-roblox-require-facial-scans-users-under-16-indonesia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352066/gaming-platform-roblox-require-facial-scans-users-under-16-indonesia?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 13:00:28 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China has stepped up its tech war with the United States, blocking Facebook owner Meta’s US$2.5 billion acquisition of artificial intelligence (AI) start-up Manus and raising cybersecurity concerns about Anthropic’s new AI model Claude Mythos Preview. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) announced it was prohibiting the Manus deal in a one-sentence statement on Monday, which didn’t give a specific reason. Meta is now planning to unwind the acquisition, which means untangling... https://www.scmp.com/plus/tech/big-tech/article/3351705/china-blocks-metas-manus-deal-raises-mythos-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/tech/big-tech/article/3351705/china-blocks-metas-manus-deal-raises-mythos-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 09:08:11 +0000 Coco Feng,Vincent Chow Coco Feng,Vincent Chow Beijing has blocked the proposed purchase by Meta Platforms of artificial intelligence firm Manus, a start-up that is officially registered in Singapore but developed its products in mainland China. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country’s top economic planner, announced the ruling in a statement on Monday, and asked the parties involved in the deal to cancel the transaction. Neither Meta nor Manus immediately responded to requests for comment on Monday. A... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3351552/china-blocks-metas-manus-deal-after-months-long-probe-thwarting-purchase?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3351552/china-blocks-metas-manus-deal-after-months-long-probe-thwarting-purchase?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 08:18:45 +0000 Alan Robles Alan Robles The job ads posted on several Philippine military forums on Facebook in 2023 looked enticing. “We are hiring regional security researcher,” said a notice bearing the emblem of Janes – the well-known international aerospace and military technology publisher. It came with an eye-watering offer: “US$1,000-US$5,000.” “Send us your CV,” the ad urged, giving Viber and WhatsApp numbers as well as an email address. The hitch: while the ad was real, the recruiter was not. Researchers who traced the ad’s... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351225/how-fake-military-job-ads-philippines-led-alleged-spy-recruitment-pipeline?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351225/how-fake-military-job-ads-philippines-led-alleged-spy-recruitment-pipeline?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 03:00:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Turkish lawmakers passed a bill late on Wednesday that includes restricting access to social media platforms for children under 15, state media reported. The legislation is the latest in a global trend to protect young people from dangerous online activity. Its passage comes a week after a 14-year-old boy killed nine students and a teacher at a middle school in Kahramanmaras, southern Turkey, in a gun attack. Police are investigating the online activity of the perpetrator, who also died, in a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351147/turkey-passes-bill-restrict-social-media-access-under-15s?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351147/turkey-passes-bill-restrict-social-media-access-under-15s?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 08:59:42 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong A Hong Kong retiree has been jailed for a year under the domestic national security law over seditious remarks on social media, after suggesting that last year’s Wang Fuk Court fire could trigger unrest similar to the 2019 anti-government protests. Former salesman Raymond Chong Wai-man, 61, pleaded guilty on Tuesday at West Kowloon Court to knowingly publishing 53 seditious Facebook posts that denigrated the central and local authorities between March 26, 2024 and November 29 last year. Chong, a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3350072/hong-kong-retiree-gets-one-year-jail-seditious-social-media-comments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3350072/hong-kong-retiree-gets-one-year-jail-seditious-social-media-comments?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:12:14 +0000 Dulue Mbachu Dulue Mbachu The world’s two superpowers are waging an information war to influence the minds of Africa’s young and media-savvy demographic, with articles pitched by the United States and China designed to show each other in an unflattering light. On March 31, Africa Defence Forum magazine, a publication of the US Army’s Africa Command, ran an article called: “China’s floating fish factories plunder Guinea Bissau’s resources”. It detailed illegal operations by Chinese fishing trawlers in the West African... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349789/war-words-china-and-us-battle-it-out-loyalty-african-hearts-and-minds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349789/war-words-china-and-us-battle-it-out-loyalty-african-hearts-and-minds?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 10:00:13 +0000 Tim Parker Tim Parker I’ve yet to meet a parent who wished their child had more screen time. Though just how far the problem can go was laid bare in the recent case of KGM against Meta and Google in a US court. The 20-year-old plaintiff, KGM, sued the owners of Instagram and YouTube, claiming that her extensive use of those platforms was driven by a deliberate use of addictive design features and damaged her mental health. KGM said she had been using YouTube since she was six and Instagram since she was nine,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3349448/antisocial-media-meta-google-liable-landmark-case-mental-health-harm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3349448/antisocial-media-meta-google-liable-landmark-case-mental-health-harm?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 02:02:06 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok A Hong Kong car owner has lost HK$500,000 (US$63,800) to scammers posing as petrol company staff who exploited surging fuel prices by offering bogus top-up deals for membership cards, police have said. The victim received unsolicited WhatsApp messages from fraudsters claiming to represent a fuel company, according to a post on the force’s CyberDefender Facebook page on Wednesday. The scammers promised discounts through prepaid petrol cards and lured the victim into making immediate... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3349398/hong-kong-car-owner-loses-hk500000-fuel-membership-card-scam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3349398/hong-kong-car-owner-loses-hk500000-fuel-membership-card-scam?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 10:30:41 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Facebook owner Meta Platforms has recruited a Chinese industry veteran with experience across artificial intelligence, humanoid robots and extended reality to lead a new hardware team in its superintelligence unit. Xu Rui, a former product manager at Tencent Holdings and TikTok owner ByteDance, would lead a team developing AI devices separately from Meta’s Reality Labs division, which was responsible for the company’s popular smart glasses and virtual reality headsets, US outlet Business Insider... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3349081/who-xu-rui-ex-bytedance-executive-tapped-meta-lead-ai-hardware?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3349081/who-xu-rui-ex-bytedance-executive-tapped-meta-lead-ai-hardware?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 08:52:22 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok A housewife in Hong Kong has lost nearly HK$2.5 million (US$320,500) in an online shopping scam after she tried to buy collagen drinks for HK$530, according to police. The victim saw a Facebook post advertising collagen drinks and transferred HK$530 via Faster Payment System, police said on their CyberDefender Facebook page. The seller later claimed the item was out of stock and offered a refund, sending the woman a link to a fake Facebook page that asked for her online banking... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348716/hong-kong-woman-loses-hk25-million-online-collagen-drinks-scam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348716/hong-kong-woman-loses-hk25-million-online-collagen-drinks-scam?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 16:03:55 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Indonesia on Saturday began implementing a new government regulation approved earlier this month that bans children younger than 16 from access to digital platforms that could expose them to pornography, cyberbullying, online scams and addiction. With the move, Indonesia became the first country in Southeast Asia to ban children from having accounts on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live and Roblox. It follows measures that Australia took last year in a world-first social... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348232/indonesia-begins-social-media-ban-children-under-16?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348232/indonesia-begins-social-media-ban-children-under-16?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 05:30:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A Los Angeles jury on Wednesday found Meta and YouTube liable for harming a young woman because of an addictive design of their social media platforms, ordering the companies to pay US$6 million in damages, including US$3 million in punitive damages. The verdict handed plaintiffs in more than a thousand similar pending cases significant leverage - and signalled to the broader tech industry that juries were prepared to hold social media companies accountable for the mental health toll of their... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3347912/jury-finds-meta-and-google-liable-us3-million-damages-social-media-addiction-trial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3347912/jury-finds-meta-and-google-liable-us3-million-damages-social-media-addiction-trial?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 18:07:28 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A New Mexico jury on Tuesday found social media giant Meta liable for endangering children by making them vulnerable to predators on its platforms and other dangers. The verdict came after roughly a day of deliberations following a six-week trial in which the state accused Facebook and Instagram’s parent company of failing to protect minors from sexual abuse, online solicitation and human trafficking. The state had sought the maximum US$2.2 billion in damages, but the jury awarded a lesser... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3347773/meta-ordered-pay-us375-million-over-child-exploitation-and-user-safety-claims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3347773/meta-ordered-pay-us375-million-over-child-exploitation-and-user-safety-claims?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 22:10:00 +0000 The Star The Star The administrator of a Facebook account has been jailed 10 months and fined 50,000 ringgit (US$12,700) by the Sessions Court in Miri, Sarawak, over a post deemed insulting to Islam. The Malaysian Comm­unications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said John Mule anak Alai, 48, was convicted under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for improper use of network facilities. “MCMC takes seriously any form of misuse of digital platforms that insults religion, incites hatred,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346298/malaysian-man-jailed-10-months-fined-us12700-over-facebook-post-insulting-islam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346298/malaysian-man-jailed-10-months-fined-us12700-over-facebook-post-insulting-islam?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 03:48:52 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Meta disabled more than 150,000 accounts and Thai police arrested 21 people in a sweeping international crackdown on Southeast Asian criminal scam centres that targeted people around the world, the social media giant said on Wednesday. The operation was led by Thailand’s Royal Thai Police Anti-Cyber Scam Centre alongside the FBI and the US Justice Department’s Scam Centre Strike Force, with Meta investigators acting on intelligence shared in real time by law enforcement. Online scam networks –... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346280/meta-disables-150000-accounts-global-sting-southeast-asian-scam-centres?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346280/meta-disables-150000-accounts-global-sting-southeast-asian-scam-centres?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 01:12:19 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu A Hong Kong charity has abruptly cancelled its signature annual trail-running fundraiser just two weeks before the event, leaving hundreds of participants in the dark on the reasons behind the decision. The 11th edition of the “Race for Water”, organised by A Drop of Life, was scheduled to take place on March 22 but would no longer proceed, according to the organiser, which did not provide reasons for the cancellation. “After careful consideration, A Drop of Life has decided to cancel the ‘Race... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3345874/hong-kong-charity-abruptly-cancels-race-water-fundraiser-weeks-event?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3345874/hong-kong-charity-abruptly-cancels-race-water-fundraiser-weeks-event?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 09:08:02 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia will begin restricting access to some social media platforms for users under 16 from March 28, marking one of the region’s toughest moves yet to curb children’s exposure to harmful online content. Communications and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid announced the measure on Friday, saying the government had signed a regulation that would gradually stop children under 16 from holding accounts on platforms deemed “high risk”. Hafid said the rule would apply to platforms such as... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345763/indonesia-ban-under-16s-high-risk-social-media-platforms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345763/indonesia-ban-under-16s-high-risk-social-media-platforms?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 13:00:00 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung What happens when two artists fall in love? Here is an unlikely answer: a nugget is born, and a tubby one at that. The Adventures of Tubby Nugget: Escape from Nuggetville, a newly released graphic novel, is the result of a collaboration between illustrator Joshua Jackson and author Jenine Pastores. The pair met in 2015 when the then filmmakers were assigned to work on a short film called Heartsick. Today, they are still creating things together – only now, their canvas has shifted from screen to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345117/how-tubby-nugget-went-silly-doodle-viral-sensation-10-million-fans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3345117/how-tubby-nugget-went-silly-doodle-viral-sensation-10-million-fans?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 23:15:07 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Meta Platforms is moving forward with integrating the newly acquired artificial intelligence agent start-up Manus, according to two sources, despite Beijing’s probe into the US$2 billion deal. Some members of the Manus team in Singapore had moved into Facebook parent Meta’s offices and were granted Meta corporate accounts and other access, one of the sources said. Meta was also offering its employees the opportunity to transfer to Manus, preferring Chinese-speaking staff, a second source... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3344755/facebook-owner-meta-presses-ahead-manus-merger-despite-beijing-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3344755/facebook-owner-meta-presses-ahead-manus-merger-despite-beijing-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 13:30:08 +0000 CNA CNA Hundreds of AI-generated Chinese-language YouTube videos have been targeting Singapore and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong as part of an ongoing disinformation campaign. Seven in 10 videos attack Wong specifically, fabricating narratives about his leadership role being under threat and spreading conspiracy theories about political infighting in Singapore. The videos have racked up millions of views since surfacing late last year, though experts suggested that bot traffic or automation could be... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3344522/singapore-prime-minister-attacked-hundreds-chinese-language-fake-ai-videos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3344522/singapore-prime-minister-attacked-hundreds-chinese-language-fake-ai-videos?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 01:31:19 +0000 Reuters,Bloomberg Reuters,Bloomberg US messenger app WhatsApp, owned by Meta Platforms, accused authorities in Russia on Thursday of trying to fully block its service to drive Russians to a state-owned app, which it alleged was used for surveillance. “Trying ‌to isolate over 100 million users from private and secure communication is a backwards step and can only lead to less safety for people in Russia,” the world’s most popular messaging service said in a statement. “We continue to do everything we can to keep users... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3343343/metas-whatsapp-accuses-russia-blocking-its-service-force-users-state-super-app?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3343343/metas-whatsapp-accuses-russia-blocking-its-service-force-users-state-super-app?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 10:57:11 +0000 Reuters Reuters A California state court case ‌over whether Instagram and YouTube harmed a woman’s mental health through addictive app design kicks off on ‍Monday with opening statements, in a test of whether Big Tech platforms can be held liable for harming kids. The 20-year-old woman identified as K.G.M. filed the lawsuit against Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta Platforms and Alphabet’s Google, which owns YouTube. She says the attention-grabbing design of the platforms got her addicted ⁠to them at a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3342967/california-court-begins-social-media-trial-amid-mental-health-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3342967/california-court-begins-social-media-trial-amid-mental-health-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 14:35:45 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang Not long ago, a humble fruit stall in Shanghai saw its sales skyrocket when Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, dropped by for some food. Meanwhile, a once-obscure village in southern China has become a tourist hotspot, drawing over 10,000 visitors daily, simply for being the hometown of Liang Wenfeng, the founder of the Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) company DeepSeek. During Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s 44-hour visit to China in 2023, the buzz surrounding his meals and itinerary on mainland social... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3341558/why-tech-billionaires-enjoy-rock-star-treatment-china-compared-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3341558/why-tech-billionaires-enjoy-rock-star-treatment-china-compared-us?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 06:00:08 +0000 CNA CNA Six men who had been sent back to Indonesia after immigration breaches tried to re-enter Singapore illegally on a sampan, but were caught when it sank. On Monday, they were sentenced to jail terms of one year to one year and nine months, and between four and 10 strokes of the cane. The group was led by 23-year-old Asrarudin, who steered the boat despite having no experience. He was joined by 28-year-old Brick, a repeat offender who received the heaviest sentence of nearly two years. Four other... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3341398/singapore-jails-canes-6-indonesians-after-illegal-re-entry-sinking-boat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3341398/singapore-jails-canes-6-indonesians-after-illegal-re-entry-sinking-boat?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 08:34:46 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Meta has acquired Manus, the Singapore-based but Chinese-born artificial intelligence (AI) start-up in a deal valued at more than US$2 billion. The move that marks a rare US purchase of an Asian AI firm was initially trumpeted as an example of China’s innovation. Now, Chinese regulators are having second thoughts. The tech world eagerly awaits the final outcome. More such cases are likely to emerge as China advances from being copycat to innovator. Another example is the forced sale of TikTok –... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3339681/review-meta-manus-deal-reminder-whats-stake-us-china-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3339681/review-meta-manus-deal-reminder-whats-stake-us-china-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 22:45:08 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Meta Platforms said it has shut down almost 550,000 accounts in Australia to comply with the country’s landmark social media ban for children. The social media giant has closed around 330,000 Instagram accounts, 173,000 Facebook accounts and almost 40,000 Threads accounts belonging to people believed to be under 16 years of age, it said in a blog post. The law, which came into effect on December 10, mandates services such as ByteDance’s TikTok and Instagram keep under-16s off their platforms or... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3339534/meta-closes-550000-australian-childrens-accounts-warns-ban-not-meeting-objectives?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3339534/meta-closes-550000-australian-childrens-accounts-warns-ban-not-meeting-objectives?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 03:29:07 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma China may be revving up its tech war with the US by reviewing Facebook owner Meta’s US$2.5 billion acquisition of artificial intelligence (AI) agent Manus and by reportedly deterring orders for Nvidia H200 chips. The Manus deal has prompted concerns as it could encourage other Chinese AI companies to shift overseas, sources told the Post before the official review announcement. The parent company of Manus moved to Singapore from China last year, partly because of US regulatory concerns. The... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3339171/meta-manus-probe-shows-risks-chinas-ai-boom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3339171/meta-manus-probe-shows-risks-chinas-ai-boom?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 09:00:32 +0000 Ji Siqi,Ben Jiang,Vincent Chow,Coco Feng Ji Siqi,Ben Jiang,Vincent Chow,Coco Feng China’s Ministry of Commerce says it will conduct a review and investigation into Meta Platforms’ US$2.5 billion acquisition of Manus, examining whether the deal complies with export controls and technology transfer rules, underscoring Beijing’s determination to assert oversight over cross-border technology transactions. Spokesperson He Yadong said at a briefing on Thursday that the ministry would work with other Chinese regulators to assess whether the deal, announced by Meta and Manus a week... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3339158/china-probe-metas-purchase-manus-regarding-export-control-and-tech-exports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3339158/china-probe-metas-purchase-manus-regarding-export-control-and-tech-exports?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 07:29:31 +0000 Zhou Xin,Coco Feng Zhou Xin,Coco Feng Chinese authorities are considering whether to step in over Meta Platforms’ acquisition of Manus – an artificial intellligence agent developer with Chinese roots – amid concerns the deal could breach technology export controls and encourage more start-ups to relocate offshore, according to two sources. One of the sources said officials, including at the Ministry of Commerce, were looking into the transaction and that the review could lead to action. The other said the chances of intervention... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3339008/beijing-mulls-intervention-metas-deal-buy-manus-amid-ai-brain-drain-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3339008/beijing-mulls-intervention-metas-deal-buy-manus-amid-ai-brain-drain-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jan 2026 07:00:10 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia on Thursday moved to bring some of the world’s biggest social media and messaging platforms under its licensing regime, closing a year-long gap in which several tech giants had operated without formal approval. From January 1, platforms with more than eight million users in Malaysia are automatically treated as licensed under local law, even if they had not applied, according to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). The shift coincides with the Online Safety Act... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3338411/malaysia-tightens-grip-major-social-media-platforms-will-it-make-internet-safer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3338411/malaysia-tightens-grip-major-social-media-platforms-will-it-make-internet-safer?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 09:50:05 +0000 Reuters Reuters Poland ‍has asked the European Commission to investigate TikTok after the social media platform hosted artificial intelligence-generated content including calls for Poland to withdraw from the EU, it said on Tuesday, adding that the content was almost certainly Russian disinformation. A TikTok profile showing videos of young women dressed in Polish national colours ⁠and calling for Poland to leave the EU has gained popularity in recent weeks. The profile has now disappeared from the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3338212/poland-urges-european-commission-investigate-tiktok-over-ai-generated-content?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3338212/poland-urges-european-commission-investigate-tiktok-over-ai-generated-content?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 17:35:19 +0000 Bernard Chan Bernard Chan China’s National Press and Publication Administration introduced gaming regulations for under 18s in 2019, including a curfew and daily playing time limits of 90 minutes on weekdays and three hours at weekends and on public holidays. When the authorities tightened the rules in 2021, some Western media characterised the measures as draconian and a textbook example of state overreach. Since then, the regulation of minors’ online activity has attracted wider attention as more governments grapple... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3337434/west-getting-same-page-china-childrens-social-media-use?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3337434/west-getting-same-page-china-childrens-social-media-use?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The European Union is back in the crosshairs of the Trump administration over its tech rules, which Washington denounced as an attempt to “coerce” American social media platforms into censoring viewpoints they oppose. The US State Department said on Tuesday it would deny visas to a former EU commissioner and four others, saying they “have advanced censorship crackdowns by foreign states – in each case targeting American speakers and American companies”. Trump has vowed to punish countries that... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3337663/trump-vs-eu-european-laws-curbing-big-tech-and-irking-us-president?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3337663/trump-vs-eu-european-laws-curbing-big-tech-and-irking-us-president?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Dec 2025 16:00:08 +0000 Divia Harilela Divia Harilela Behind almost every popular dish in 2025 is a viral social media post. If you ask people to share their recipes for making favourites like cottage cheese wraps, protein bagels, home-made Dubai chocolate or crispy rice salmon salad, nine out of 10 are likely to send a link to a Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or Xiaohongshu (RedNote) post. Recipes have been transitioning from the page to the screen ever since popular user-generated website Allrecipes made its debut in 1997. Today there is no shortage... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/lifestyle/dining/article/3337298/popularity-old-fashioned-cookbooks-offerings-gwyneth-paltrow-and-sophia-loren?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/lifestyle/dining/article/3337298/popularity-old-fashioned-cookbooks-offerings-gwyneth-paltrow-and-sophia-loren?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 22:00:08 +0000 Matthew Cheng Matthew Cheng Hong Kong recorded a 20 per cent increase in online investment scams in the first 10 months of the year, with victims losing HK$3.08 billion (US$395.9 million), according to police. Superintendent Theodora Lee Wai-see of the force’s Anti-Deception Coordination Centre also revealed on Monday that 83 per cent of all fraudulent messages were disseminated through Meta-owned platforms including Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram. Overall, Hong Kong residents lost HK$6.43 billion to various scams over... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3337355/hong-kong-online-investment-scams-surge-20-losses-hit-hk308-billion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3337355/hong-kong-online-investment-scams-surge-20-losses-hit-hk308-billion?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 10:29:56 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A Burkinabe teenager who used artificial intelligence to post fake news of a French coup on social media got more than he bargained for. As well as millions of views and tens of thousands of “likes”, he also acquired a certain notoriety – and French President Emmanuel Macron, for one, was not amused. And what he had planned as a moneymaking scheme netted him only €7 (US$8), he said. But he has no regrets. “Coup d’etat in France,” declared the video posted by the 17-year-old, showing what... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3337148/african-teen-who-raised-macrons-ire-ai-generated-french-coup-video-has-no-regrets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3337148/african-teen-who-raised-macrons-ire-ai-generated-french-coup-video-has-no-regrets?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Dec 2025 03:06:04 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran As Australia’s new restrictions on social media use by children under 16 take effect this month, governments across Southeast Asia are rolling out or weighing their own measures aimed at protecting young users online. From platform licensing rules in Malaysia to age-based access limits in Indonesia, the moves reflect a broader global push to rein in tech companies over child safety, cyberbullying and harmful content. But analysts say such policies can also open the door to wider regulatory... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3336820/southeast-asia-follows-australia-tightening-social-media-rules-safety-or-censorship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3336820/southeast-asia-follows-australia-tightening-social-media-rules-safety-or-censorship?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 00:00:24 +0000 Charlotte Shore Charlotte Shore Hong Kong’s hospitality sector faces a critical challenge: there are 25 per cent fewer full-time staff post-pandemic, according to figures from the city’s Hotels Association. For restaurants and hotels striving to recover from pandemic losses, this shortage threatens their ability to bounce back and maintain service quality for more cost-conscious and discerning clientele. The problem is compounded by a fundamental shift in the workforce. Many workers left Hong Kong during the pandemic, and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3336582/service-how-new-digital-platform-hong-kong-shift-happens-tackling-staffing-crisis-hospitality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3336582/service-how-new-digital-platform-hong-kong-shift-happens-tackling-staffing-crisis-hospitality?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 10:00:14 +0000 dpa dpa A massive international grey market in mobile phone SIM cards is fuelling large-scale manipulation and fraud online, a University of Cambridge study has found. The researchers say physical and virtual SIMs from providers like SMSActivate, 5Sim, SMShub and SMSPVA were being used to verify fake accounts on social media platforms and e-commerce services. “We find a thriving underground market through which inauthentic content, artificial popularity and political influence campaigns are readily and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3336187/how-global-grey-market-sim-cards-powers-fraud-and-influence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3336187/how-global-grey-market-sim-cards-powers-fraud-and-influence?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Dec 2025 06:29:24 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press South Korea will require advertisers to label their ads made with AI technologies from next year as it seeks to curb a surge of deceptive promotions featuring fabricated experts or deepfake videos and audio of celebrities endorsing food or pharmaceutical products on social media. Following a policy meeting chaired by Prime Minister Kim Min-seok on Wednesday, officials said they will ramp up screening and removal of problematic AI-generated ads and impose punitive fines, citing growing risks to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3335915/south-korea-mandates-labels-ai-generated-adverts-curb-deepfakes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3335915/south-korea-mandates-labels-ai-generated-adverts-curb-deepfakes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 10:12:40 +0000 Reuters Reuters Australia on Wednesday became the first country to ban social media for children under 16, blocking access to platforms including TikTok, Alphabet’s YouTube and Meta’s Instagram and Facebook. Ten of the biggest platforms were ordered to block children from midnight on Wednesday or face fines of up to A$49.5 million (US$33 million) under the new law, which drew criticism from major technology companies and free speech advocates, but was welcomed by parents and child advocates. The ban is being... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3335813/australias-social-media-ban-children-takes-effect-world-first?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3335813/australias-social-media-ban-children-takes-effect-world-first?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 22:03:07 +0000 Dien Nguyen An Luong Dien Nguyen An Luong In Vietnam, saying “I’ll call the police on you” is a familiar tease, shorthand for the authority everyone instinctively understands. Thus, it was striking when a Ho Chi Minh City police unit’s Facebook page recently reinvented itself as a meme hub. Until October, the official Facebook page run by Ho Chi Minh City’s anti-drug police looked like any other official page feed, with routine updates, arrest photos and boilerplate warnings. Then, on October 5, it abruptly shifted into playful Gen Z... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3335394/vietnams-anti-drug-police-are-speaking-gen-z-and-its-working?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3335394/vietnams-anti-drug-police-are-speaking-gen-z-and-its-working?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Dec 2025 02:30:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Frank Gehry, who designed some of the most imaginative buildings ever constructed and achieved a level of worldwide acclaim seldom afforded any architect, has died. He was 96. Gehry died on Friday in his home in Santa Monica after a brief respiratory illness, said Meaghan Lloyd, chief of staff at Gehry Partners. Gehry won every major prize that architecture has to offer. His fascination with modern pop art led to the creation of some of the most wildly imaginative buildings ever constructed and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3335427/frank-gehry-most-celebrated-architect-his-time-dies-96?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3335427/frank-gehry-most-celebrated-architect-his-time-dies-96?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 20:25:32 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to cut resources for building the so-called metaverse, an effort that he once framed as the future of the company and the reason for changing its name from Facebook. Executives were considering potential budget cuts as high as 30 per cent for the metaverse group next year, which includes the virtual worlds product Meta Horizon Worlds and its Quest virtual reality (VR) unit, according to people familiar with the talks, who asked not to be named while... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3335264/meta-plans-budget-cuts-high-30-its-metaverse-efforts-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3335264/meta-plans-budget-cuts-high-30-its-metaverse-efforts-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 02:19:38 +0000 Reuters Reuters Google’s YouTube said it would obey Australia’s world-leading ban on social media accounts for children under 16, a capitulation which means all the most popular platforms with young users have agreed to comply after campaigning against the law. Google initially received an exemption on grounds its main purpose was video viewing and education, not social networking. Canberra later broadened the scope of the ban to include it following complaints by other platforms. “We will comply with the law... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3334977/youtube-capitulates-australias-age-rule-becomes-last-major-platform-accept?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3334977/youtube-capitulates-australias-age-rule-becomes-last-major-platform-accept?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 01:15:47 +0000 Reuters Reuters A constitutional challenge against Australia’s social media ban on children younger than 16 has been filed in the nation’s highest court, two weeks before the world-first law is set to take effect. A campaign group called the Digital Freedom Project said on Wednesday it launched proceedings in the High Court of Australia in a bid to block the law, with two 15-year-olds, Noah Jones and Macy Neyland, as plaintiffs in the case. More than one million accounts held by teenagers under 16 are set to be... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3334238/australias-under-16-social-media-ban-faces-high-court-challenge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3334238/australias-under-16-social-media-ban-faces-high-court-challenge?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Nov 2025 09:50:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Snapchat has begun asking teenage Australians to verify their ages, the company said on Monday, just weeks before Canberra enforces sweeping laws banning under-16s from social media. From December 10, Australia will force social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, to remove users under the age of 16 or face hefty fines. “Starting this week, many users will be asked to verify their age to continue accessing Snapchat,” the company said. Users will be able to do so using an... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3333875/snapchat-makes-australian-teens-verify-age-social-media-ban-looms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3333875/snapchat-makes-australian-teens-verify-age-social-media-ban-looms?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Nov 2025 00:37:43 +0000 Reuters Reuters Yann LeCun, one of the founding figures of modern artificial intelligence and a pivotal force at Meta Platforms, said on Wednesday he plans to leave the company at the end of the year to launch a new AI start-up. LeCun has been a key part of Meta’s AI ambitions for more than a decade. He joined the company in 2013 to create Facebook AI Research (FAIR), the in-house lab that helped transform Meta into one of the AI leaders. Over 12 years, he served five as FAIR’s founding director and seven as... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3333470/yann-lecun-leaving-meta-launch-ai-start-focused-advanced-machine-intelligence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3333470/yann-lecun-leaving-meta-launch-ai-start-focused-advanced-machine-intelligence?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Nov 2025 01:41:06 +0000