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The latest news, analysis and opinion on Apps. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
A man uses smartphones in Kabul on Tuesday. Photo: EPA
Central Asia

Afghan government workers face sack, jail after smartphone ban begins

Employees will be available only ‘via telephone calls and email’, an official says, citing an order from the supreme leader.

Artificial intelligence

China’s Alipay gets AI-agent overhaul to challenge rivals Tencent and ByteDance

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Britain

UK bans under 16s from social media apps including TikTok, YouTube

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Japan

Is baby hungry, sleepy or just unhappy? These Japanese apps can interpret cries

The apps use AI-powered tools trained on baby cries to help parents decode their children’s needs.

The Babylingual app analyses Saku Numazawa’s cries on April 28. Photo: Kyodo
Canada

Canada moves to ban under-16s from social media, regulate AI

The proposed plan could see companies fined up to 3 per cent of their global revenue or US$7.2 million if they do not comply.

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Alibaba

Ant International powers new e-wallet in cash-heavy Mexico

The e-wallet may assist small businesses in the Latin American country to build credit history and secure financing, according to Clip.

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Artificial intelligence

ByteDance thinks its Doubao AI is worth paying for. Are China’s users buying it?

The tech giant’s paywall gamble may have backfired after teasing its paid-subscription options for flagship chatbot Doubao saw users bolt.

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ByteDance’s decision to introduce a paywall for its flagship chatbot Doubao saw it lose 6.1 million users and could risk the tech giant’s lead in China’s fierce artificial intelligence race, according to analysts. Photo: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images
Artificial intelligence

Tencent shares jump 10% on expectations of AI agent within WeChat

An AI agent would leverage the app’s ecosystem of mini-programs, payments, content and commerce for 1.4 billion users.

Indonesia

Indonesia bans Polymarket following bets on Prabowo presidency end date

The predictions market attracted ⁠attention on social media in Indonesia after a bet opened on when Prabowo would be ‘out as president’.

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Artificial intelligence

Chinese tech giants race to dominate AI-powered digital gateways

The integration of agentic AI with sites like Taobao and JD.com is reshaping shopping, but the bigger promise is an agent within WeChat.

A Taobao and Tmall display is seen at the Alibaba office in Beijing on April 1. Photo: AFP
Artificial intelligence

How ByteDance plans to turn OpenClaw craze into a profitable AI business

ArkClaw’s subscription model and surging token demand mark ByteDance’s new approach to agent economics.

The logo of OpenClaw, an open-source AI assistant. Photo: Reuters
Artificial intelligence

Alibaba brings chat-style shopping to Taobao, Qwen amid AI gateway push: source

E-commerce giant is integrating Qwen with Taobao and Tmall, enabling shoppers to use natural-language commands instead of keyword searches.

United States

US nears US$400 million settlement with TikTok on child-privacy, report says

The money will be used to fund Trump’s ‘beautification’ projects in Washington, the report says.

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United States

New Mexico trial citing ‘public nuisance’ laws against Meta, social platforms

The case is being closely watched as governments across the US pursue similar claims seeking to force big tech platforms to change to protect young users.

A recording of Meta Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s deposition is played for the jurors on March 4, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. Photo: AP
US-China trade war

From apps to autos: China’s data reach sparks US espionage and sabotage concerns

Washington accused of not doing enough to counter Beijing’s harvesting of key American data and weaponising it as a strategic asset.

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Chinese apps like DeepSeek have raised concerns about their potential to siphon sensitive data from American users. Photo: Reuters
Indonesia

Gaming platform Roblox to require facial scans for users under 16 in Indonesia

This is in line with new restrictions on minors’ use of social media and digital platforms in the country.

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DeepSeek

‘The whale can now see’: DeepSeek adds AI vision in major move

On DeepSeek’s chat interface, a new ‘image recognition mode’ has been added alongside the ‘expert’ and ‘flash’ chat modes.

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Social media

Turkey passes bill to restrict social media access for under-15s

It comes a week after a 14-year-old boy killed nine students and a teacher at a middle school in southern Turkey, in a gun attack.

Police officers in uniform and plainclothes police secure the site after a deadly school shooting, in the southeastern province of Kahramanmaras, Turkey, on April 15, 2026. Photo: via Reuters
Wellness

Is your family addicted to screens and junk food? How to change their habits

In her book Dopamine Kids, Michaeleen Doucleff examines our reliance on ‘magnets’ that hamper happiness and explains how to overcome them.

Artificial intelligence

Crypto industry sees AI-driven agent economy as next growth driver

Experts gather in Hong Kong for Web3 Festival as firm predicts AI agents could facilitate up to US$5 trillion in global crypto sales by 2030.

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ByteDance

ByteDance profit plunges on AI push as TikTok Shop fuels overseas surge: reports

‘All-in’ AI drive cuts profits by 70 per cent, while booming TikTok Shop sales help overseas markets outpace China, reports say.

ByteDance recorded its first profit decline in years after adopting an “all-in” mentality on AI. Photo: Getty Images
TikTok

Realistic, no edits required – why the Setlog app is trending in South Korea

Viral app Setlog lets up to 12 friends film two- to four-second clips every hour, then auto-stitches them into a split-screen ‘day-in-the-life’ vlog.

A vlog by a group of friends posted on Setlog. Setlog is the latest trending app on social media that is especially popular among South Koreans. Photo: Instagram/setlog_app
Artificial intelligence

Tencent moves to rein in AI content flood on WeChat with stricter rules

Updated guidelines target mass-produced and AI-rewritten posts, reflecting growing concern over the spread of low-effort content.

Artificial intelligence

Alibaba’s Qwen family captures over 50% of global open-source downloads: report

Qwen hits nearly 1 billion cumulative downloads, far surpassing rivals like Meta Platforms’ Llama and DeepSeek, researchers say.

Artificial intelligence

Alibaba cloud growth forecast to climb with AI push, higher charges: analysts

The company’s cloud and AI businesses are gaining speed, with token usage and pricing changes fuelling growth, analysts say.

The Alibaba building in Xuhui Binjiang Park, also known as “AI Park”, in Shanghai. Photo: EPA
Artificial intelligence

China’s DeepSeek adds expert chatbot mode ahead of much-awaited V4 release

The Hangzhou start-up’s latest chatbot update sparks speculation over whether the expert mode is linked to the long-delayed V4 model.

The changes come ahead of the much-anticipated release of DeepSeek’s next-generation flagship model V4 this month. Photo: Reuters
Cartier

The Cartier Women’s Initiative just celebrated 20 years

Amal Clooney spoke on the opening panel to urge action on women’s rights, while female entrepreneurs among the 2026 fellows shared their experiences and advice.

Wellness

Hate jet lag? How fliers are using apps to beat the common travel trouble

Flying across time zones disrupts your circadian rhythm, which affects functioning and even long-term health. But apps could help.

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