WhatsApp: Latest News and Updates | South China Morning Post

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The latest news, analysis and opinion on WhatsApp. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Chairman / President

Nitin Gupta

CEO / Managing Director

Will Cathcart

CFO / Finance Director

Jonathan Blames

Industry

Social media

Website

whatsapp.com

Headquarters address

1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, California, 94025, USA

Year founded

2009

Six-year-old Enrique Navarro watches a show on YouTube at his home in western Sydney on October 30. Photo: AFP

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.

3 Dec 2025 - 10:52AM

Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Families frantically seek loved ones as scores missing in Hong Kong fire

27 Nov 2025 - 7:01PM

Australia

Snapchat makes Australian teens verify age as social media ban looms

24 Nov 2025 - 5:27PM

Singapore

Singaporean Amos Yee released on parole from US prison after child porn sentence

Amos Yee, a registered sex offender, was sentenced in 2021 to six years’ jail by a US court for possession of child pornography and grooming.

20 Nov 2025 - 11:27PM

Amos Yee stands outside the US Citizenship and Immigration Services offices after his release from detention in Chicago, Illinois in September 2017. Photo: Reuters

Indonesia

Isis-linked group used video games to radicalise Indonesian children: police

Over 110 children have been targeted by terrorist recruiters this year alone, a ‘massive’ spike from 17 between 2011 and 2017, police say.

19 Nov 2025 - 4:35PMvideocam

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.

19 Nov 2025 - 7:19AMvideocam

Nepal

Asian Angle | Nepal found out what Thailand already knew: digital repression is risky

The tactics vary, from Myanmar’s internet blackouts to Indonesia’s subtler control, but the results are the same: resentment and resistance.

15 Nov 2025 - 1:00PMvideocam

Protesters burn tyres in Kathmandu earlier this year. Following the protests over social media bans and government corruption, Nepal lifted its restrictions. Photo: AFP

Artificial intelligence

Meta Platforms’ AI lay-offs triggered by resource competition: ex-researcher

Tian Yuandong says internal conflicts emerged at Meta as LLM development became the industry-wide focus.

13 Nov 2025 - 9:00AM

Singapore

Singapore police grab 2 Malaysians after woman hands over gold to fake officials

Over US$350 million has been lost to scams in the first half of the year, according to Singapore police.

10 Nov 2025 - 9:58AM

Malaysia

Meta disagrees with Malaysia’s social media licensing framework, proposes talks

Malaysia says its licensing rules are aimed at curbing scams, online gambling and child pornography.

29 Oct 2025 - 5:33PMvideocam

Meta’s three social media platforms, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, on a mobile phone. The firm has been criticised over content that is harmful to young people on its platforms. Photo: Shutterstock

Indonesia

Asian Angle | TikTok Live blackout in Indonesia exposes fragility of digital freedoms

The suspension shows how global platforms are intertwined with state power and digital infrastructure can be disabled in a political crisis.

27 Sep 2025 - 11:00AMvideocam

TikTok in Indonesia halted its live feature on August 31 over safety concerns amid the protests and described the suspension as “voluntary”. Photo: Shutterstock

Nepal

Nepal’s prime minister resigns over deadly anti-corruption protests

K.P. Sharma Oli has resigned after 19 people were killed in violent protests triggered by a social media ban.

10 Sep 2025 - 3:15PMvideocam

Nepal

Nepal’s Gen Z revolt turns deadly as police fire on protesters, killing 19

The government’s lethal crackdown on young protesters has deepened a crisis sparked by a social media ban and long-standing corruption.

9 Sep 2025 - 12:29PMvideocam

Nepal

Police in Nepal open fire on pro-social media protest, killing 17

The Gen Z-led protest was held to condemn a government attempt to regulate social media that blocked Facebook, X and YouTube, among others.

9 Sep 2025 - 8:57AM

Riot police fire tear gas during a protest outside parliament in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Monday. Photo: AFP

Malaysia

Malaysia summons TikTok, Meta over slow response to fake news, immoral content

Malaysia has stepped up scrutiny of social media companies, after reporting a sharp rise in harmful online content on their platforms.

2 Sep 2025 - 6:56PM

Crime in Hong Kong

Scammers exploit rental platforms in Hong Kong amid rise in investment fraud

Number of investment scams rises 25 per cent year on year in first six months of 2025, with losses surging 36.4 per cent to HK$1.48 billion.

22 Aug 2025 - 10:17AM

Hong Kong society

Hongkongers urged to avoid travel to Iran, Israel despite risk downgrade

Authorities lower outbound travel alert for both countries from black to red, warning current risk levels remain ‘a significant threat’.

18 Aug 2025 - 11:49PM

Russia

Russia restricts calls on Telegram, WhatsApp, accusing apps of law breaches

The curbs are part of Russia’s push for ‘digital sovereignty’, which includes a new state-backed messaging app to reduce dependence on foreign tech.

13 Aug 2025 - 11:01PMvideocam

Russia is restricting Telegram, and WhatsApp calls, citing security concerns. Photo: Shutterstock

Crime in Hong Kong

Girl, 14, blackmailed in Hong Kong via chat app by user who took video of her

Hong Kong police investigate blackmail of teen who met stranger on Wefun chat app and allegedly had indecent clip of her filmed on WhatsApp.

29 Jul 2025 - 2:21PM

Crime in Hong Kong

Online job scams in Hong Kong jump 92% amid rise in ‘click farming’ tactics

Police say 2,148 online employment scams recorded from January to May, up about 92 per cent over same period last year.

15 Jul 2025 - 7:00AMvideocam

Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong tech and telecoms giants unite to combat online fraud

Seven social media platforms and six telecommunications firms commit to stricter checks and enhanced user safety under new charter.

9 Jul 2025 - 10:21PM

Representatives from financial regulators, technology companies and telecommunications firms at the launch of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s Anti-scam Consumer Protection Charter 3.0. Photo: Elson Li

Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong police arrest 118 over e-commerce scams involving HK$5 million in losses

Three most common types of goods involved in such scams are concert tickets, electronics and food and drink.

21 Jun 2025 - 5:32PM

(From left) Cyber security and technology crime bureau’s Chief Inspector Lee Chun-man, Superintendent Ko Tik and Senior Inspector Wong Yuen-yan. Photo: Nora Tam

Malaysia

Malaysians demand action against Facebook group exploiting schoolgirls’ images

A social media influencer unmasked the ‘dirty group’ after discovering an old picture of herself in her school uniform posted on the page.

12 Jun 2025 - 3:46PM

Malaysia

Malaysia orders telecoms firms to hand over user data, raising privacy concerns

The government claims it’s for a mobile project, but critics cite data security risks.

6 Jun 2025 - 11:15PM

Artificial intelligence

Mark Zuckerberg says Meta AI bot is used a billion times monthly

Use of Meta AI is growing the fastest on WhatsApp, the company says, as it competes against Google, Microsoft and OpenAI.

29 May 2025 - 1:15PM

Meta Platforms founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg attends an AI developer conference in Menlo Park, California, last month. Photo: AP

Malaysia

Malaysia’s home minister ridiculed after his WhatsApp account hacked

Critics question how Saifuddin Nasution can keep the country safe if he cannot even secure his own phone.

27 May 2025 - 4:10PM

Malaysia Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail. Photo: Facebook/Saifuddin Nasution Ismail

Wellness

How social media can be terrible for teens and the people fighting back

Phone and social media use have led to a youth mental health crisis and transformed teens’ lives but schools and governments are stepping in.

18 May 2025 - 9:45AM

Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Popular Hong Kong clinic chain in hot water amid suspected closure

Many customers outraged after prepaying thousands for their children’s vaccinations at clinics under Alliance Medical Group.

2 May 2025 - 12:07AM

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