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The latest news, analysis and opinion on Apps. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
TikTok owner ByteDance aims to tackle disruptive artificial-intelligence research. Photo: Shutterstock
Artificial intelligence

ByteDance in race with US rivals to drive artificial general intelligence

The Chinese unicorn’s Seed Edge programme reflects its aggressive investment strategy, as other major tech firms push their AI initiatives.

Apple

How Apple’s parental control features are child’s play to override

E-commerce

China’s super app WeChat bolsters e-commerce credentials via gift-giving feature

US-China relations

Opinion | US and China should follow lead of their youth bonding on RedNote

Their interactions help debunk Washington’s ‘China threat’ narrative and should give Beijing the courage to relax its censorship and trust Chinese youth.

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For many young Americans, RedNote has given them their first direct interaction with mainland Chinese people. Photo: SCMP
US-China relations

US man says he set fire to congressman’s office over TikTok ban

Caiden Stachowicz, 19, faces more than 50 years behind bars if convicted of charges including arson and making terrorist threats.

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TikTok

Exclusive | Art of the TikTok deal: China softening to potential app sale, sources say

Beijing could be more open to ByteDance selling some shares to American investors to improve US relations, sources and analysts say.

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Singapore

Instagram brings parental supervision to Singapore with new Teen Accounts

Offering enhanced safety features for teens aged 13-18, these accounts are private by default, limit contact requests, and filter offensive content.

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Instagram has rolled out Teen Accounts in Singapore, offering built-in protections, parental supervision tools, and a new Sleep Mode to enhance safety. Photo: Reuters
TikTok

TikTok’s shutdown a ‘clever’ move ahead of Trump inauguration, analysts say

TikTok’s ‘theatrical conversion’ appeals to Trump, as the company seeks to improve its reputation and market valuation, according to analysts.

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Sex and relationships

In Spain, singles ditch dating apps in favour of finding ‘real life’ love

A monthly ‘slow dating club’ in Madrid attracts young people looking for face-to-face connection as part of a trend away from online dating.

US-China relations

Trump says he will ‘most likely’ give TikTok a 90-day extension

The US president-elect will probably announce the move on Monday, he said in an interview.

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Donald Trump give a thumbs up as he walks off after speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas, Texas, in July 2021. Photo: AFP
US-China relations

TikTok sell-or-ban law is upheld by US Supreme Court

High court rules that law requiring ByteDance to sell video-sharing app to non-Chinese buyer or face US ban starting Sunday is constitutional.

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The US Supreme Court has ruled that a law forcing the sale or ban of TikTok is constitutional. Photo illustration: Reuters
Indonesia

Will Indonesia’s plan to restrict children’s access to social media succeed?

While many support the policy and say it should also limit screen time, others are concerned about implementation and data privacy.

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E-commerce

JD.com introduces gifting feature after Alibaba and Tencent

The Beijing-based tech giant has jumped on the latest trend in China’s e-commerce sector: online gifting.

Mobile payments

Alipay bears cost of system error that applied discounts to user transactions

The system error applied a 20 per cent ‘government subsidy’ to an undisclosed number of transactions on Thursday, according to users.

[Shutterstock] Stock Photo ID: 1078808396 PENANG, MALAYSIA - APR 26, 2018: Alipay expands its market to support retail merchants in Malaysia through a collaboration with MOLPay, the payment gateway for Malaysia and Southeast Asia. Shutterstock Images
Hong Kong

Struggling with Taobao? It’s now available in English for Hongkongers

The Chinese e-commerce platform has soft-launched an English interface in Hong Kong.

The Taobao mobile application with English-language interface. Photo: Taobao
TikTok

Duolingo sees a spike in TikTok refugees learning Mandarin

Language-learning apps Duolingo and Drops say they have seen an increase in US users learning Chinese.

TikTok

Douyin cracks down on fake foreign accounts amid wave of ‘TikTok refugees’

Some mainland Chinese users have reposted videos, pretending to be foreign users to gain more followers, according to Douyin.

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China’s Communist Party

RedNote’s influx of ‘TikTok refugees’ could be a double-edged sword for Beijing

The authorities will be hoping new users of the app will get a favourable impression of China – but may be unnerved by some of their posts.

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The possible US TikTok ban has prompted an exodus of new users to the Chinese app RedNote. Photo: Reuters
United States

How a TikTok ban in the US would work – and why user workarounds won’t

Users could try to access a web-based version of TikTok via a browser while using a VPN, but the web version lacks many features of the app.

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TikTok

TikTok prepares to shut down app in US on Sunday, sources say

Shutting down TikTok in the US could make it unavailable for users in many other countries, the company has said.

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RedNote

How to set up an account on RedNote, a TikTok alternative: 9 steps

RedNote is attracting users of another Chinese short video app, TikTok, in the US who fear a ban. See our 9-step guide to opening an account.

Employees on the balcony of the RedNote (also known as Xiaohongshu, meaning “little red book”) company headquarters building in Shanghai, China. The RedNote app has been seized on as an alternative to Tiktok, which faces a ban in the United States. Photo: EPA-EFE
TikTok

China’s TikTok sellers eye Amazon and Shein as US ban looms

Cross-border merchants in China are bracing for an impending ban on TikTok in the US.

The TikTok logo is displayed outside the social media company’s offices in Culver City, California. Photo: AFP via Getty Images/TNS
Crime in Hong Kong

Thailand set to roll out measures on visitor safety, Hong Kong official says

Security official Michael Cheuk expresses hope 12 Hong Kong residents stuck in Southeast Asia can be brought home before Lunar New Year.

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US-China relations

At US Supreme Court, TikTok’s pleas to honour free speech met with scepticism

But observers split on whether a ‘dark day’ for 170 million American users looms or a preliminary injunction to delay the ruling is coming.

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Alibaba

Alibaba studio pulls top mobile game from Vivo’s app store

The move comes amid ongoing disputes between Chinese video game companies and smartphone brands over app-store commission rates.

An Alibaba studio is removing its top game, Three Kingdoms Tactics, from Vivo’s Android app store. Photo: Handout
Huawei

Huawei’s Android rival scores major win as WeChat gets on board

The US-sanctioned Chinese company hopes to have 100,000 apps in its self-developed mobile operating system this year.

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Huawei’s French headquarters in Boulogne-Billancourt near Paris. Photo: Reuters
Alibaba

Meet Alibaba’s AI coder: an automated system that can build an app ‘in minutes’

AI coder forms part of Alibaba Cloud’s artificial intelligence programming tool called Tongyi Lingma.

Wellness

3 top wellness trends to make 2025 a better year

In the advent of artificial intelligence, cutting-edge wellness technology and a growing awareness of holistic health practices, there are now more ways than ever to get in, and stay in, tip-top shape.

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