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People hold signs in support of TikTok outside the US Capitol Building on March 13, 2024, in Washington. Photo: Getty Images/TNS
TikTok

Editorial | TikTok deal could show way forward for US-China engagement

The agreement, under which the platform will become a joint venture controlled by a consortium of investors, highlights the importance of negotiation and mutual respect.

Wellness

New dating app is helping disabled and chronically ill people find love

Australia

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

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Artificial intelligence

Alipay and Rokid open up AI payment function on smart glasses to developers

The function has been made available to participants in the Rokid Spatial Joy 25 Global AR and AI Developer Competition.

Alipay and AI glasses maker Rokid have teamed up to debut a smart glasses AI pay solution on the Rokid Lingzhu AI development platform. Photo: Sina
Artificial intelligence

China’s Xreal to power Google’s Android AI glasses as smart eyewear demand grows

Project Aura, which features dual-chip design and optical see-through lenses, is a fresh example of China’s expanding R&D capabilities.

Australia

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

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

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Social media

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

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

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

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

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

Britain

‘Follow me’: UK’s Starmer launches TikTok account despite security ban

Prime minister’s office insists ‘security mitigations’ are in place as he turns to the popular Chinese-owned app for greater outreach.

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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TikTok will comply with an under-16 ban in Australia on social media use. Photo: Shutterstock
US-China tech war

Editorial | China’s low-cost AI is showing up America’s high-cost tech model

The real China threat is in exposing America’s AI myths by showing what can be achieved at much lower costs and with greater efficiency.

Screens showing DeepSeek and OpenAI on January 29 in Toulouse, southwestern France. The American notion is that AI is capital-intensive, perhaps more so than any other US industry today. Photo: AFP
United States

Hegseth’s Signal use posed risk to US forces, Pentagon review finds

White House ‘stands by’ Pentagon chief Hegseth, who is also under intensifying scrutiny over US strikes in the Caribbean.

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Tencent

Elon Musk reiterates aim to transform X into a ‘WeChat++’ super app

Users ‘live their life on WeChat in China’ and there is no equivalent app elsewhere in the world, the entrepreneur says.

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
Artificial intelligence

Ant Group’s LingGuang a hit as users create millions of flash apps with AI tool

The multimodal AI assistant can generate simple apps in as little as 30 seconds in response to users’ prompts.

Alibaba

Alibaba launches US$537 Quark AI glasses to challenge devices from Meta, Xiaomi

The glasses are expected to ‘usher in a revolution in human-computer interaction in the AI era’, Alibaba vice-president Wu Jia says.

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Artificial intelligence

Hong Kong’s HKChat raises AI expectations as 90,000 users join app in debut week

HKChat tops free app ranking on Apple’s Hong Kong App Store on Sunday.

Director Guo Yike of the Hong Kong Generative Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Centre shows the core functions of the HKChat app. Photo: May Tse
Alibaba

Alibaba to lead AI capital spending among Chinese firms amid strong demand

The group’s intention to boost AI-related capital outlay reflects its aim to spearhead China’s efforts in the race for global AI leadership.

Australia

Australia’s under-16 social media ban faces high court challenge

Critics say the world-first law, effective next month, infringes on political communication rights. Australia lacks an express free speech right.

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Artificial intelligence

US, Chinese firms add AI shopping bells and whistles to dominate all-in-one apps

OpenAI’s new ‘shopping research’ tool resembles popular AI shopping services on Chinese e-commerce platforms like Tmall and Taobao.

Leading US and Chinese artificial intelligence firms are ramping up integration of e-commerce solutions in their flagship consumer products in the race to become the “everything app” of the future. Photo: Handout
United States

US senator demands answers to Trump’s TikTok divestiture plan

Ed Markey questions Trump’s executive order to sell ByteDance-owned TikTok to US investors, demanding clarity on algorithm control and security.

US President Donald Trump shows an executive order regarding TikTok on September 25, stating that a US version of the app would use a homegrown model of its algorithm, addressing a key issue for keeping the Chinese-owned platform operating in the US. Photo: AFP
Artificial intelligence

Alibaba’s Qwen chatbot sets record by topping 10 million downloads in debut week

Powered by Alibaba Cloud’s open-source model family of the same name, Qwen is the firm’s most significant foray into the consumer AI market.

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.

Artificial intelligence

Ant Group’s vibe coding app hits 1 million downloads in just 4 days

LingGuang, an AI app that generates custom software applications, sees a surge in popularity.

Ant Group’s logo seen at the fintech giant’s headquarters in Hangzhou, in eastern Zhejiang province. Photo: Shutterstock
Artificial intelligence

Chinese tech giants from Kuaishou to Tencent reap early gains from big AI bets

Executives double down on long-term AI growth, as return-on-investment culture cushions tech companies amid worries over costs, analysts say.

Kuaishou attributes its third-quarter revenue growth to the use of AI technology. Photo: Ben Jiang
Ant Group

Alibaba founder Jack Ma visits Ant Group as fintech giant ramps up AI efforts

Ma’s visit marks almost a year since he publicly endorsed Ant Group’s AI initiatives during the firm’s 20th anniversary.

United States

Meta defeats US antitrust case over Instagram and WhatsApp acquisitions

The ruling gives Big Tech its first decisive win against the antitrust crackdown started in Trump’s first term.

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