https://www.scmp.com/rss/318709/feed From China’s most popular smartphone messaging app WeChat to Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, these services are changing the way people communicate with each other around the world. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com 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 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia’s communications regulator has assured the public that their privacy remains intact, despite a government move to hoover up data on mobile phone and internet usage as part of widening controls over online activity. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said that the data being compiled under the government’s Mobile Phone Data project was all anonymous. There were no markers to indicate the identity of users, such as names or mobile numbers. “At the point of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3313713/malaysia-assures-users-their-privacy-protected-mobile-data-grab-truly-anonymous?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3313713/malaysia-assures-users-their-privacy-protected-mobile-data-grab-truly-anonymous?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Jun 2025 09:57:33 +0000 Elizabeth Cheung Elizabeth Cheung Major courier firm SF Express has stopped sending text messages to Hong Kong customers with self-pickup parcels and will only send notifications via its mobile app in a bid to reduce the chances of scams. The express delivery firm announced that the new arrangement came into effect on Monday. “To further protect our customers from fraudulent SMS messages and phishing websites, SF Express Hong Kong will reduce SMS notifications starting April 14, 2025,” the company said. “All self-pickup... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3306390/sf-express-hong-kong-stops-sending-parcel-delivery-sms-texts-combat-scams?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3306390/sf-express-hong-kong-stops-sending-parcel-delivery-sms-texts-combat-scams?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Apr 2025 03:52:04 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma A 23-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly defrauding Hongkongers by sending text messages that appeared to come from registered companies and government departments by using a fraudulent mobile station to jam phone signals. Police said on Wednesday they arrested the man earlier this week in connection with 28 complaints concerning suspicious text messages that purported to be from the registered accounts of government departments, delivery firms and online payment systems. The Office of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3299275/hongkonger-arrested-over-sms-scam-using-radio-jammer-show-official-sign?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3299275/hongkonger-arrested-over-sms-scam-using-radio-jammer-show-official-sign?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Feb 2025 07:15:59 +0000 Vivian Au Vivian Au Scammers could be using illegal radio jammers to transmit text messages with a sender ID prefixed with a hashtag, a symbol only available to registered companies, Hong Kong communications authorities warned on Friday. The Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) said some people had reported receiving suspicious text messages with a “#” symbol, used in the “SMS Sender Registration Scheme” that was implemented in 2023 as part of efforts to combat phishing scams. Under the scheme, messages... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3298791/scammers-may-be-sending-sms-messages-sign-hong-kong-agency-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3298791/scammers-may-be-sending-sms-messages-sign-hong-kong-agency-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Feb 2025 16:20:03 +0000 China’s BeiDou navigation system is set to reap more domestic users and accelerate its replacement of the US-based GPS system after a state-owned telecoms giant teamed up with major domestic mobile phone makers to popularise the use of its unique short messaging function. Under the short messaging service (SMS) communication partnership announced on Tuesday, China Telecom, the country’s third-largest mobile communications operator, will work with phone manufacturers to enable its 423 million... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3289339/beidou-sms-function-set-gain-more-chinese-users?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3289339/beidou-sms-function-set-gain-more-chinese-users?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Dec 2024 09:30:08 +0000 Matt Haldane Matt Haldane HashKey Group, operator of one of only two licensed cryptocurrency exchanges in Hong Kong, is teaming up with the operator of the blockchain created by Telegram Messenger to give users an on- and off-ramp by exchanging their so-called Toncoins for cash. The agreement applies to users in the Asia-Pacific region and will see the two organizations work on “new ecosystem projects by providing mentorship, networking opportunities, and other incubation activities”, TON Foundation said in an... https://www.scmp.com/tech/blockchain/article/3258804/telegrams-blockchain-teams-hashkey-asia-ramp-services-exchange-toncoin-cryptocurrency-cash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/blockchain/article/3258804/telegrams-blockchain-teams-hashkey-asia-ramp-services-exchange-toncoin-cryptocurrency-cash?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Apr 2024 13:00:37 +0000 Hashtags have a new job, fighting phishing in Hong Kong. The prefix “#”, already familiar on social media for the cross-referencing of content, will soon help verify the identity of mobile service providers when they send text messages to customers. Announced by the Office of the Communications Authority, the system creates a way to block potential scam text messages from unregistered senders. The latest positive step to fight cybercrime is to be welcomed, but it only stands a chance if met with... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3246435/hong-kong-hashtag-fight-against-scams-needs-support?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3246435/hong-kong-hashtag-fight-against-scams-needs-support?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Dec 2023 22:30:16 +0000 Text messages sent by more than 20 Hong Kong mobile service providers will carry the “#” prefix from next Thursday as part of a watchdog-led effort to combat phishing scams. The Office of the Communications Authority announced the launch of the “SMS Sender Registration Scheme” on Wednesday, with the first round of 23 network providers able to register their official numbers with the industry watchdog to receive dedicated sender IDs. “Other SMS messages with sender IDs containing ‘#’ but not sent... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3245787/text-messages-23-hong-kong-mobile-service-providers-carry-prefix-next-thursday-part-anti-phishing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3245787/text-messages-23-hong-kong-mobile-service-providers-carry-prefix-next-thursday-part-anti-phishing?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Dec 2023 13:40:02 +0000 Almost 900 Hong Kong people were victims of data breaches over the last month after fraudsters hijacked the WhatsApp accounts of social services and schools, the city’s privacy commissioner revealed on Thursday. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data said that fraudsters had hacked the WhatsApp accounts of five social welfare services and schools and impersonated the organisations in a bid to defraud people listed in their address books. The news came as the Hong Kong Computer... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3236906/hong-kong-whatsapp-hack-attack-compromises-accounts-900-people-after-fraudsters-target-instant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3236906/hong-kong-whatsapp-hack-attack-compromises-accounts-900-people-after-fraudsters-target-instant?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Oct 2023 08:36:05 +0000 Anti-fraud voice alerts or messages to warn Hong Kong mobile phone users about potential scammers will be displayed on all calls with the “+852” prefix from next month, the city’s communications watchdog has said. The effort is part of a wider push by authorities to tackle swindles carried out over the phone, which jumped 148 per cent in 2022 over the year before and cost victims a total of HK$1 billion (US$127.4 million). The Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) on Tuesday said it... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3216692/fresh-crackdown-mobile-phone-fraudsters-targeting-hong-kong-announced-watchdog?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3216692/fresh-crackdown-mobile-phone-fraudsters-targeting-hong-kong-announced-watchdog?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Apr 2023 10:51:21 +0000 A data centre fire that knocked out South Korea’s most popular messaging app for several hours over the weekend is “a wake-up call” on the need for online platform providers to be regulated as well as the importance of backup data centres, analysts say. The blaze at SK C&C in southern Seoul on Saturday caused an hours-long breakdown across nearly all online services provided by Kakao Corp, including messenger app KakaoTalk, and other services such as ride-hailing, payment and gaming. SK C&C... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3196255/south-koreas-kakaotalk-outage-shows-need-regulation-amid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3196255/south-koreas-kakaotalk-outage-shows-need-regulation-amid?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Oct 2022 10:20:08 +0000 Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday warned citizens to “actively guard” against foreign influence efforts including on social media, stressing the importance of the city state’s sovereignty. He offered an example of how there had been text messages on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that were “clearly attempting to stir up strong anti-American sentiments”. “On the other hand, other messages aim to discredit Russia and China, and seek to influence and persuade you to side with the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3189667/foreign-influence-efforts-rise-make-singaporeans-take-sides-pm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3189667/foreign-influence-efforts-rise-make-singaporeans-take-sides-pm?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Aug 2022 11:19:57 +0000 China Mobile is shutting down its iMessage-style system that once dominated mobile messaging on the network, putting an end to a decade of failure to adapt to China’s smartphone era, where people live much of their digital lives inside Tencent Holdings’ WeChat. When initially launched in 2007 by China Mobile, one of the country’s three main state-owned telecoms carriers, the Feixin messaging service took the country by storm. Yet many of its most innovative features, such as being able to text... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3186494/china-mobile-ends-decade-failure-against-wechat-imessage-feixin-shut?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3186494/china-mobile-ends-decade-failure-against-wechat-imessage-feixin-shut?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Jul 2022 09:30:24 +0000 Hong Kong and international fraudsters have bilked HK$1.28 billion (US$163 million) from more than 6,000 victims of online deception and phone scams in the first four months of this year, latest crime figures have revealed. Nearly one-fourth of the money the victims lost was swindled through email fraud in which 102 companies and 25 people were duped out of HK$333 million in total between January and April. This year’s biggest email scam involved an overseas investment firm which was conned out... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3182217/fraudsters-swindled-hk128-billion-more-6000?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3182217/fraudsters-swindled-hk128-billion-more-6000?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Jun 2022 11:30:09 +0000 WeChat, the multipurpose super-app from Tencent Holdings, has implemented a pop-up notification denying rumours that it has restricted Shanghai-related posts to local users only, amid pressure from authorities for online platforms to police Covid-19 content relating to the city. Screenshots started circulating over the weekend that WeChat, a ubiquitous app in China, had assembled a team to write new codes to separate users of Moments, a social network service within the app, based on their... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3175445/wechat-uses-pop-alert-contest-rumours-about-blocking-shanghai-lockdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3175445/wechat-uses-pop-alert-contest-rumours-about-blocking-shanghai-lockdown?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Apr 2022 12:30:21 +0000 Nostalgic for those mobile phones with a physical keyboard? Brace yourself, because as of Tuesday many models of the once-indispensable BlackBerry devices will no longer work. The Canadian company has decided to pull the plug on new updates of its operating system, meaning most BlackBerries that became synonymous with the emerging mobile digital culture of recent decades – and were embraced by politicians and business executives – will not operate correctly after January 4. “As of this date,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3162132/goodbye-blackberry-way-mobile-devices-will-die?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3162132/goodbye-blackberry-way-mobile-devices-will-die?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Jan 2022 15:41:53 +0000 When Norwegian telecoms firm Telenor Group announced the sale of its Myanmar operations to Lebanese investment firm M1 Group in July, the people of Myanmar were five months into nationwide protests and strikes opposing the February 1 coup, which threatened to plunge the country back to the dark days of military rule. Data relating to Telenor Myanmar’s 18 million customers forms part of that sale. And in the wrong hands, that data could mean life or death for the company’s former clients. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3158936/dangerous-data-telenors-irresponsible-exit-myanmar-may-put-customers-lives?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3158936/dangerous-data-telenors-irresponsible-exit-myanmar-may-put-customers-lives?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Dec 2021 02:00:17 +0000 China’s three major mobile network operators are expected to soon roll out a nationwide 5G messaging service, integrating video, audio and electronic payment functions, that could potentially compete with Tencent Holdings’ ubiquitous, multipurpose super app WeChat. The new service from China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom is expected to make its initial commercial test run in the second half of this month, according to a report by China Securities Journal, a national financial newspaper... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3151169/chinas-mobile-network-operators-push-nationwide-roll-out-new-5g?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3151169/chinas-mobile-network-operators-push-nationwide-roll-out-new-5g?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Oct 2021 00:00:22 +0000 Ireland on Thursday slapped Facebook’s WhatsApp messaging service with a record fine for breaching EU data privacy laws after European regulators demanded the penalty be increased. Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) was entrusted with the case because Facebook’s European headquarters are situated in the country. “And following this reassessment the DPC has imposed a fine of €225 million (US$267 million) on WhatsApp,” the commission said, by far the largest penalty it has ever issued to a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3147367/ireland-fines-whatsapp-us267-million-breaching-eu-data-privacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3147367/ireland-fines-whatsapp-us267-million-breaching-eu-data-privacy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Sep 2021 14:07:52 +0000 China has launched a new campaign to crack down on “fake news” in Beijing’s latest effort to clean up online content, placing additional pressure on the country’s social media platforms to screen out unsanctioned information, likely impacting citizen journalists. The campaign will target “illegal news activities” by news organisations and staff, internet platforms and public accounts, as well as unaccredited social organisations and individuals, according to a summary of a recent teleconference... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3143880/china-launches-campaign-against-fake-news-beijing-seeks-purify-online?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3143880/china-launches-campaign-against-fake-news-beijing-seeks-purify-online?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Aug 2021 04:04:35 +0000 With a total of 114 million fans on Twitter and Facebook, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is one of the world’s most followed politicians, using these platforms to share everything from policy updates to selfies with foreign leaders. As his fan base grew, so did a flood of disinformation and abuse on social media, often perpetuated by supporters and members of the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against their detractors. The torrent of hate, especially towards... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3135952/indias-modi-once-relied-facebook-and-twitter-now-he-going-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3135952/indias-modi-once-relied-facebook-and-twitter-now-he-going-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Jun 2021 13:30:10 +0000 Users of the secure messaging app Signal were unable to access the service in mainland China on Tuesday morning, making it the latest foreign social messaging service to fall victim to the country’s Great Firewall. The app joins the likes of Facebook, Google, Twitter and many other popular services that are inaccessible in China without the use of a virtual private network (VPN) or another circumvention tool. Existing users can no longer send messages and aspiring users cannot sign up for a new... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3125694/chinas-great-firewall-ensnares-encrypted-messaging-app-signal-joining?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3125694/chinas-great-firewall-ensnares-encrypted-messaging-app-signal-joining?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Mar 2021 12:30:22 +0000 Smartphone giant Xiaomi has revived its defunct instant messaging app MiTalk as a social audio chat platform for professionals, a move that comes weeks after Clubhouse was banned in China. The app was relaunched just eight days after the company shut down the original MiTalk on February 19 “due to changes in the business”, according to the company’s announcement in January on the app’s official Weibo account. With another announcement on Saturday, MiTalk was reintroduced as an audio-first chat... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3123630/wechat-clubhouse-xiaomi-turns-messaging-app-social-audio-platform?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3123630/wechat-clubhouse-xiaomi-turns-messaging-app-social-audio-platform?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Mar 2021 23:00:18 +0000 The Hong Kong government has put its lifeblood into containing the Covid-19 pandemic. However, not all the implemented measures have been effective, like the “Leave Home Safe” app, for instance. Since the app’s release last year, merely 11 per cent of the total population downloaded the contact-tracing app, despite an uptick in recent days after it became a passport to enter certain establishments such as restaurants, gyms and government buildings. As the low engagement rate is attributed to... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3122346/coronavirus-contact-tracing-singapore-and-signal-show-hong-kong-how?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3122346/coronavirus-contact-tracing-singapore-and-signal-show-hong-kong-how?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Feb 2021 23:00:08 +0000 Hong Kong’s privacy watchdog on Monday urged WhatsApp to delay a February 8 deadline for users to agree to controversial new terms – namely having their personal data shared with its parent company Facebook – or face being blocked from key features on the messaging service. Defending its privacy policy, WhatsApp has insisted “no additional data” other than what it already collects will be shared with Facebook under the change. But many of the city’s users have nonetheless switched, or are... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3117301/hong-kong-privacy-watchdog-urges-whatsapp-pump-brakes-policy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3117301/hong-kong-privacy-watchdog-urges-whatsapp-pump-brakes-policy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Jan 2021 14:00:13 +0000 Tencent, the Chinese tech company that owns the chat app WeChat, has tapped into the US Congress’ revolving door and hired several lobbyists to defend it amid the threat of a ban by President Donald Trump. The new hires include former US representative Ed Royce, a Republican from California who was chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and author of numerous bills targeting China during his 16 years in office. Royce introduced a powerful sanctions bill in 2017 – the Countering... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3100772/tencent-hires-former-us-congressman-and-national-security-hawk-ed-royce?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3100772/tencent-hires-former-us-congressman-and-national-security-hawk-ed-royce?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Sep 2020 22:45:54 +0000 US President Donald Trump has ordered a ban on Chinese-owned apps TikTok and WeChat in the latest move to crack down on Chinese tech companies, escalating the ongoing tech and trade stand-off between Beijing and Washington. The Trump administration announced executive orders on Thursday evening in the US banning “to the extent permitted under applicable law, any transaction” with TikTok owner ByteDance, or that is related to WeChat with its parent company Tencent Holdings, “by any person, or... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3096405/tiktok-wechat-targeted-us-ban-trumps-latest-executive-orders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3096405/tiktok-wechat-targeted-us-ban-trumps-latest-executive-orders?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Aug 2020 03:29:43 +0000 Chinese-Australians have banded together to help police hunt down two white men who hit an Asian delivery rider in Adelaide’s Chinatown on Saturday, as vigilantism among the Asian-Australian community grows in the face of rising racist attacks. A video of the attack, published on social media and by various Asian media groups such as Jackfroot, shows the two white men – one carrying a dog – approach an Asian food delivery rider on a stationary electric bike. One of the men walks past the rider... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3092030/chinese-australians-hunt-down-white-men-who-hit-asian-delivery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3092030/chinese-australians-hunt-down-white-men-who-hit-asian-delivery?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Jul 2020 21:30:10 +0000 Facebook and its messaging service WhatsApp on Monday said they were suspending requests from the Hong Kong government and law enforcement authorities for information on users. The pause will take place “pending further assessment” of a new national security law imposed on Hong Kong by China, and would include “formal human rights due diligence and consultations with human rights experts”, a Facebook company spokesman said in a statement. “We believe freedom of expression is a fundamental human... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3092061/facebook-whatsapp-suspend-user-information-requests-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3092061/facebook-whatsapp-suspend-user-information-requests-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Jul 2020 14:25:28 +0000 Facebook said its advertising business is taking a hit in some parts of the world as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, even as demand for information and messaging drives an “unprecedented” spike in usage for many of its services. “Our business is being adversely affected like so many others,” the world’s largest social network wrote in a blog post on Tuesday. Many of Facebook’s products, including messaging and voice calls through Messenger and WhatsApp, have seen a dramatic increase in... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3076857/facebooks-ads-business-hit-covid-19-pandemic-despite-surge-usage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3076857/facebooks-ads-business-hit-covid-19-pandemic-despite-surge-usage?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2020 01:33:10 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Until recently, Xiang Bao never had any reason to try out Telegram. The app, known for its secure messaging features, is blocked in China. But Xiang decided to give Telegram a try while looking for information on a new coronavirus spreading through the country ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday in January. During the early days of the Covid-19 crisis, Xiang became one of an increasing number of internet users in China using a VPN to climb the Great... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3075804/how-telegram-became-refuge-wechat-users-during-coronavirus-outbreak?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3075804/how-telegram-became-refuge-wechat-users-during-coronavirus-outbreak?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2020 10:40:18 +0000 Until recently, Xiang Bao never had any reason to try out Telegram. The app, known for its secure messaging features, is blocked in China. But Xiang decided to give Telegram a try while looking for information on a new coronavirus spreading through the country ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday in January. During the early days of the Covid-19 crisis, Xiang became one of an increasing number of internet users in China using a VPN to climb the Great Firewall to get information about the deadly,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/how-telegram-became-refuge-wechat-users-during-coronavirus-outbreak/article/3075376?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/how-telegram-became-refuge-wechat-users-during-coronavirus-outbreak/article/3075376?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2020 10:40:17 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS When Tang sensed that the stock of face masks in Hong Kong was starting to dwindle two weeks ago, he saw that something else was also in short supply: Information about where to buy them and how much they cost. The deadly coronavirus outbreak has set off a scramble for the much sought-after commodity, creating lines of thousands outside shops and overwhelming shopping agents who help customers ship back overseas purchases. Tang, a college sophomore who... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3050040/30000-person-online-chat-tells-you-where-buy-masks-during?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3050040/30000-person-online-chat-tells-you-where-buy-masks-during?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Feb 2020 09:58:28 +0000 When Tang sensed that the stock of face masks in Hong Kong was starting to dwindle two weeks ago, he saw that something else was also in short supply: Information about where to buy them and how much they cost. The deadly coronavirus outbreak has set off a scramble for the much sought-after commodity, creating lines of thousands outside shops and overwhelming shopping agents who help customers ship back overseas purchases. Tang, a college sophomore who asked to be identified by his surname, had... https://www.scmp.com/culture/30000-person-online-chat-tells-you-where-buy-masks-during-coronavirus-outbreak/article/3049978?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/30000-person-online-chat-tells-you-where-buy-masks-during-coronavirus-outbreak/article/3049978?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Feb 2020 09:58:25 +0000 A court ruling in Canada could put the brakes on WeChat’s freewheeling political discourse in the country, with a Toronto construction worker ordered to pay more than C$50,000 (US$38,000) after spreading what a judge called malicious falsehoods about a local community leader on the Chinese social media platform. The recent ruling showed that Canada’s courts would punish WeChat users for defamatory posts, even if their readership was unknown, said a business and technology lawyer who has... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3049004/wechat-user-charged-us38000-spreading-fake-news?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3049004/wechat-user-charged-us38000-spreading-fake-news?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Feb 2020 19:54:58 +0000 Mobile app spending and usage hit a record in 2019 and show no signs of tapering off this year as faster cellular connections and more big-name video streaming services come online, industry tracker App Annie says. China should again prove the biggest driver of consumption on everything from video streaming to games operated by social media giant Tencent Holdings Ltd., propelling spending 23% higher to US$380 billion this year, App Annie researchers said. China made up half of all consumer... https://www.scmp.com/tech/mobile-spending-could-reach-380-billion-2020-thanks-china/article/3046400?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/mobile-spending-could-reach-380-billion-2020-thanks-china/article/3046400?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Jan 2020 14:29:19 +0000 The United States is home to more billionaires than any other nation, according to research firm Wealth-X – but not all of them were born in the US. Several billionaires – including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, real estate developer Jorge Pérez, Panda Express founders Peggy and Andrew Cherng and Chobani founder Hamdi Ulukaya – first came to the US for further education. Others immigrated earlier with their families as children. Keep reading to learn more about some of the most prominent billionaires in... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3034587/elon-musk-george-soros-sergey-brin-and-8-more-immigrants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3034587/elon-musk-george-soros-sergey-brin-and-8-more-immigrants?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Oct 2019 06:00:10 +0000 For the anti-government protesters in Hong Kong, privacy is a priority. The cautious steps they have taken to protect their identities include wearing masks on the streets, paying for single-trip MTR fares with cash and using encrypted messaging apps. Telegram, the most widely used app for the city’s protesters to organize and disseminate information, is moving to provide additional layers of anonymity to its users – from a new security setting that would effectively conceal their mobile phone... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/new-cryptocurrency-telegram-could-give-hong-kong-protesters-decentralized-payments/article/3025679?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/new-cryptocurrency-telegram-could-give-hong-kong-protesters-decentralized-payments/article/3025679?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Sep 2019 11:44:38 +0000 Twitter said on Friday the account of chief executive Jack Dorsey had been “compromised” after a series of erratic and offensive messages were posted. The tweets containing racial slurs and suggestions about a bomb showed up around 8pm GMT on the @jack account of the founder of the short messaging service. We're aware that @jack was compromised and investigating what happened. — Twitter Comms (@TwitterComms) August 30, 2019 Some of the tweets contained the hashtag #ChucklingSquad, which was... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3025186/twitter-says-ceo-jack-dorseys-account-was-hacked?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3025186/twitter-says-ceo-jack-dorseys-account-was-hacked?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Aug 2019 21:24:27 +0000 Wang Jiaying spends three hours on WeChat every day and knows the minutiae of her friend’s lives through their online posts. But the 45-year-old stay-at-home mom knows little about what her 18-year-old daughter is up to because the first-year university undergraduate seldom posts to the Tencent-owned social media platform. “I have never shared anything on WeChat,” said the daughter, Xue Shuoyi, who is living away from her home in Shenzhen and attending university in Guangzhou. “For me, it is... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/teens-are-shunning-wechat-showing-shifting-tastes-chinese-social-media/article/3024368?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/teens-are-shunning-wechat-showing-shifting-tastes-chinese-social-media/article/3024368?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Aug 2019 09:31:19 +0000 Symphony Communications Services, a Silicon Valley messaging start-up used by some of the world’s biggest financial-services companies, expects robot-driven traffic on its platform to surpass human-initiated use within two years. A wave of workflow automation is expected to speed up transaction and regulatory compliance procedures, and reduce human errors and costs. “With stronger regulatory compliance requirements everywhere … the typical response is, let’s have more people give approval before... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3018121/messaging-firm-symphony-says-bots-dominate-financial-sector-communications?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3018121/messaging-firm-symphony-says-bots-dominate-financial-sector-communications?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Jul 2019 05:00:17 +0000 In China, it’s hard to find a person who doesn’t use WeChat.  It’s where friends, families and colleagues message each other, share photos and updates, and exchange contacts with new acquaintances. Simply put, it’s like WhatsApp, iMessage, Facebook, and Slack combined -- and more!  Although tourists and visitors won’t be able to enjoy every function on WeChat, there are still plenty of ways you can try out WeChat while traveling in the country. In this installment of the China Tech Survival... https://www.scmp.com/china-survival-guide/how-use-wechat-local-when-youre-traveling-china/article/3015764?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china-survival-guide/how-use-wechat-local-when-youre-traveling-china/article/3015764?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Jun 2019 09:43:12 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS In China, it’s hard to find a person who doesn’t use WeChat.  It’s where friends, families and colleagues message each other, share photos and updates, and exchange contacts with new acquaintances. Simply put, it’s like WhatsApp, iMessage, Facebook, and Slack combined -- and more!  Although tourists and visitors won’t be able to enjoy every function on WeChat, there are still plenty of ways you can try out WeChat while traveling in the country. In this... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029438/how-use-wechat-local-when-youre-traveling-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3029438/how-use-wechat-local-when-youre-traveling-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Jun 2019 09:43:12 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS When thousands of protesters took to the streets in Hong Kong Wednesday to protest a controversial extradition law, many turned to Telegram to get organized. Pitched as a secure communication tool, Telegram has been used by both activists and terrorists to avoid government scrutiny. But just how secure is it really? Hang on a second, what exactly is Telegram? Telegram is a free messaging app. Just like other similar services, you can send texts, videos... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3029415/why-telegram-isnt-secure-you-think?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/tech/article/3029415/why-telegram-isnt-secure-you-think?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Jun 2019 12:47:36 +0000 Update: Telegram responds to claims that its encryption is flawed. When thousands of protesters took to the streets in Hong Kong Wednesday to protest a controversial extradition law, many turned to Telegram to get organized. Pitched as a secure communication tool, Telegram has been used by both activists and terrorists to avoid government scrutiny. But just how secure is it really? Hang on a second, what exactly is Telegram? Telegram is a free messaging app. Just like other similar services,... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/why-telegram-isnt-secure-you-think/article/3014398?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/why-telegram-isnt-secure-you-think/article/3014398?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Jun 2019 12:47:36 +0000 The first group of protesters rushed the main road shortly before 8am. Within minutes, messages started popping up on people’s phones sharing information about the location of police officers and instructions on where protesters needed reinforcements. As thousands of demonstrators stormed major routes in the heart of Hong Kong Wednesday morning, messaging apps like Telegram, WhatsApp and Signal became key tools for ralliers to organize their effort. High school students used encrypted messages... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3014248/how-technology-fuels-hong-kongs-protesters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/culture/article/3014248/how-technology-fuels-hong-kongs-protesters?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Jun 2019 00:00:14 +0000 China’s popular short-form video apps have now become the primary driver of internet usage in the world’s biggest online population, according to American venture capitalist Mary Meeker. Known as the “queen of the internet” for her bullish stock calls during the dot-com bubble, Meeker said in a presentation of her 2019 Internet Trends Report that the daily time spent by users of short-form video apps in China reached an average of 600 million hours as of April. The leading platforms were... https://www.scmp.com/tech/innovation/article/3014216/queen-internet-mary-meeker-says-short-form-video-apps-now-drive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/innovation/article/3014216/queen-internet-mary-meeker-says-short-form-video-apps-now-drive?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Jun 2019 23:00:13 +0000 The first group of protesters rushed the main road shortly before 8am. Within minutes, messages started popping up on people’s phones sharing information about the location of police officers and instructions on where protesters needed reinforcements. As thousands of demonstrators stormed major routes in the heart of Hong Kong Wednesday morning, messaging apps like Telegram, WhatsApp and Signal became key tools for ralliers to organize their effort. High school students used encrypted messages... https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/how-technology-fuels-hong-kongs-protestors/article/3014133?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/digital-life/how-technology-fuels-hong-kongs-protestors/article/3014133?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Jun 2019 12:15:25 +0000 Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said on Wednesday the company would encrypt conversations on more of its messaging services and make them compatible, the latest sign that the world’s biggest social network sees its future in intimate online chats. Zuckerberg said in a post on his Facebook profile that within a few years direct messaging would dwarf discussion on the traditional, open platform of Facebook’s news feed, where public posts can go viral across the world. “Working towards... https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/2188976/zuckerberg-says-facebooks-future-going-big-private-chats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-social/article/2188976/zuckerberg-says-facebooks-future-going-big-private-chats?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Mar 2019 03:26:21 +0000