TOPIC

Social media

Social media
Social media refers to the means of interaction among people in which they create, share, and exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks. Social media depends on mobile and web-based technologies to create highly interactive platforms through which individuals and communities share, co-create, discuss, and modify user-generated content. It introduces substantial and pervasive changes to communication between organisations, communities and individuals.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim speaks to the media on January 10. Photo: Xinhua
Malaysia

Anwar’s reform record questioned after Malaysian reporter’s sedition arrest

Rex Tan’s arrest for asking a ‘sensitive question’ shows how a colonial-era act continues to hold back Malaysian reforms, critics say.

Hong Kong society

Hong Kong blogger’s Iran trip sparks debate about solo travel safety

6
Labubu

Explainer | What is mystery shopping, made popular by Labubu?

Trending in China

China actress loses brand partners for saying ‘hundreds of thousands’ a month not enough

Product boycott calls force 53-year-old star into online apology; actress admits she had forgotten ‘her roots’; will change after self-reflection.

Chinese actress Yan Xuejing has apologised for saying a monthly income of “hundreds of thousands of yuan” cannot maintain a family after critics accused her of flaunting her wealth. Photo: Douyin
X (formerly Twitter)

Musk’s xAI sued over Grok deepfakes – this time, by mother of his child

Ashley St Clair, mother of Musk’s 13th child, said that in one photo, an image of her at 14 was altered to show her in a bikini.

Britain

UK teen who praised Southport murderer jailed for possessing al-Qaeda manual

McKenzie Morgan praised the killer of three young girls at a Taylor Swift event, and threatened to bomb an Oasis show, was sentenced on Friday.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
China society

Outside In | Plight of Hebei’s freezing elderly shows urgent need for pension reform

The swarming sociability of family life is fading as one-person households and lonely deaths rise. Coping with loneliness is now a life skill.

videocam
Around the world, more people are growing up as only children; marrying late, if at all; having children late, if at all; and living alone in old age. Photo: Shutterstock
Malaysia

FMT apologises for racial query tying Malaysia’s ‘Chinese problem’ to Palestine

During a George Galloway lecture, a Free Malaysia Today reporter asked if the ‘Palestine problem’ parallels Malaysia’s ‘Chinese problem’.

Malaysia

X marks the bot: Malaysia says Grok ban may be lifted if it is proven to be safe

Though X has deactivated several prompts, more changes need to be made to ensure the site’s safety, Malaysia’s communications minister says.

Artificial intelligence

Musk’s Grok barred from undressing AI images after global backlash

‘Spicy Mode’ feature had allowed users to create sexualised deepfakes of women and children.

Grok has been allowing users to manipulate images of women and children to sexualise them. Photo: dpa
Animal welfare in Hong Kong

Animal welfare groups slam Hong Kong pet shop for offering cat rental service

Pet shop gave clients the chance to rent a cat for a week for HK$800 with a refundable deposit of HK$6,500 before buying.

The pet shop is located in a commercial building in North Point. Photo: Jelly Tse
Malaysia

‘No oil here’: Malaysians turn US embassy space post into foreign-policy satire

The embassy’s International Space Station image prompted self-deprecating jokes about oil, US power and being strategically uninteresting.

videocam
Japan

Japan’s Princess Kako targeted in viral Grok AI deepfakes trend

Images of the princess in a blue dress during a recent event were used to generate deepfakes, including of her naked and covered in tattoos.

Iran

Iranians use Musk’s Starlink to pierce internet blackout during protests

Smuggled satellite terminals offer a high-risk lifeline as Iran’s protest death toll climbs.

6
Cars burn in a street during a protest in Tehran on January 8. Photo: West Asia News Agency via Reuters
Malaysia

Fast and furious: Malaysian streetwear boss suspended after road rage video

The Stoned & Co co-founder, seen on camera tailgating and blocking a car after being honked at, has apologised for his ‘poor judgment’.

This screengrab from a dashcam video shows the moment the Stoned & Co co-founder is honked at to get out of the way. Photo: Instagram/sensual.96s
Britain

UK launches probe into Musk’s X over Grok’s ‘disgusting’ sexualised AI imagery

UK regulator acts after users prompt AI to create sexually intimate deepfakes, fuelling fears of widespread image abuse on the platform.

Australia

Australian social media ban: Meta shuts 550,000 children’s accounts

Australia’s ban on social media usage for under 16s, a world’s first, came into effect on December 10.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Malaysia

Malaysia suspends Grok access amid global backlash on Musk’s AI

The regulating commission deemed the platform’s safeguards inadequate, adding that access would resume only after the required changes are verified.

Workers install lighting on an ‘X’ sign atop the company headquarters, formerly known as Twitter, in downtown San Francisco in 2023. Photo: AP
Elon Musk

Elon Musk to open source X algorithm in 7 days amid global scrutiny

The company has been working to incorporate more AI into its recommendation algorithm through Grok, Musk’s AI chatbot.

Wellness

This Chinese-Vietnamese plant-based influencer makes even haters love tofu

Wendy the Food Scientist is on a mission to make plant-based eating simple, healthy and satisfying – no ultra-processed ‘fake meat’ required.

Britain

Musk blasts ‘prison island’ UK in showdown over Grok AI sexual images

The billionaire accused the government of being ‘fascist’ after it threatened to ban X over the deepfake photos.

Billionaire Elon Musk’s xAI operates Grok. Photo: AFP
Trending in China

China actor rejects US$2,800 mountain-climbing companion fee, plans to change jobs

Buff, struggling performer who adheres to a strict ‘non-sexual’ service policy plans to branch out into becoming a swimming buddy.

A 35-year-old Chinese actor known for offering paid companionship on mountain walks has rejected a proposed US$2,800 fee and plans to explore paid swimming companionship in 2026. Photo: SCMP composite/RedNote/QQ.com
Britain

Will X be banned in the UK? Elon Musk hits back at shutdown warnings

Despite an outcry over AI abuse images, Musk called the warnings ‘censorship’ and reposted threats to sanction Britain if X is blocked.

China society

Being Chinese | Where do lonely hearts in China go now? Late-night live streams

I was swiping past the noise on Douyin when a calm, warm voice stopped me. So began my evenings in the world of companionship live streams.

videocam
Mainland China

Video | Why has America’s ‘kill line’ gone viral in China?

The public debate has inevitably drawn parallels with problems faced by China’s own population.

What is a ‘kill line’ and why are Chinese netizens using it to describe living in the US?
06:54
Fame and celebrity

Why Ashley Tisdale called her mommy group ‘too high school’

The former child star’s mommy group is rumoured to include Mandy Moore, whose family the Duffs hosted after a fire.

Former child star Ashley Tisdale French has been embroiled in a mommy group drama. Photo: @ashleytisdalefrench/Instagram
Mainland China

Video | Why are women-only communities growing in China?

Economic independence and educational opportunities are enabling women to focus on their own needs, while social media has exposed many to alternative lifestyles.

Trending in China

China ‘instant reply providers’ offer solace by responding to angry clients online

‘Good listeners’ with a high emotional quotient earn cash by listening to people’s gripes; offer to provide a ‘whole-day good mood’.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement