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

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

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

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Social media

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

Scams and swindles

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

Australia

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

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

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

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

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

Australia

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

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

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Social media

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

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

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

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

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

Singapore

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

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

Vietnam

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

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

A viral social media post showing a faux wedding proposal created by an anti-drugs police unit photo in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Facebook/PC04.CATP
Indonesia

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

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

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

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

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

Australia

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

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

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Singapore

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

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

Singapore is among countries that have stepped up measures to curb screen time and tighten social media restrictions for adolescents. Photo: TNS
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.

Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

HK$60,000 fire subsidy only for Wang Fuk Court residents: Hong Kong minister

Home affairs minister Alice Mak issues clarification amid rumours of abuse, says no formal reports made so far.

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Singapore

Singapore ‘sharenting’: where does openness end and overexposure begin?

While sharing children’s exam results may serve to document life’s journey, it may also expose them to danger, counsellors say.

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A group of children playing on a tablet. A recent trend in Singapore is of parents sharing videos of their children online. Photo: Shutterstock
Wealth: Alternative Investments

Could investing in China’s AI industry prove more lucrative than the US’?

Amid US fears of an AI bubble, experts argue that China’s home-grown innovation offers robust growth opportunities for investors.

Supported by
BNP Paribas Wealth Management
Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

‘Feeling powerless’: Hong Kong internet users grieve over Tai Po blaze

As death toll rises, residents offer condolences to victims and call for support and blood donations.

Asia travel

Meet the quokka, the ‘world’s happiest animal’. Just don’t touch them, please

Famed for their perpetual smiles, quokkas are found on Australia’s Rottnest Island. But if you’re going there for a selfie, follow the rules.

A quokka smiles for the camera on Rottnest Island off Australia’s west coast. Learn more about the island’s cutest residents and how to be a responsible tourist. Photo: Carola Frentzen/dpa
Trending in Hong Kong

Video | Watsons executive saves woman from sea

Ed van de Weerd, CEO for Health & Beauty Continental Europe of AS Watson, was in Hong Kong for a visit when he jumped into Victoria Harbour to rescue a woman.

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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.

Baidu

China’s Baidu posts 50% rise in AI revenue despite third-quarter slump

In spite of sluggish advertising, AI operations provide ‘a solid foundation for sustainable long-term growth’, Baidu CFO He Haijian says.

United States

ChatGPT and X among sites disrupted in worldwide Cloudflare outage

The company, whose network handles around a fifth of web traffic, says a fix has been deployed and services restored.

A woman holds a smartphone displaying the logo of social network X. Thousands of users reported issues with the platform on Tuesday. Photo: AFP
US-Asean relations

What US anti-scam ‘strike force’ means for Southeast Asia’s cybercrime fight

Analysts say the US initiative can serve as a coordination blueprint to push back against transnational criminal enterprises.

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US Attorney Jeanine Pirro points to a text message sent by a scammer as she announces the Scam Centre Strike Force in Washington on Wednesday. Photo: AP
China’s internet censorship

Are China’s stars leading fans to be more nationalist – or the other way round?

Study out of the US and Britain looks at how nationalism flows and influences others on Chinese social media.

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Artificial intelligence

Alibaba’s wholesale platform empowers merchants with AI tool to source products

Alibaba.com, which serves more than 200,000 merchants worldwide, will make its new AI Mode search tool available next month.

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