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The latest news, analysis and opinion on Apps. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
People queue outside an Apple store to see the new iPhone 17 lineup in Hangzhou on September 19, 2025. Photo: AFP
Apple

Apple faces new antitrust complaint over ‘unfair’ App Store fees in China

The developers asked the antitrust regulator to investigate and penalise Apple for allegedly ‘abusing the company’s market dominance’.

Central Asia

Afghan government workers face sack, jail after smartphone ban begins

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

The move makes the UK part of a growing global movement to tighten online safety for children.

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Students from Ricards Lodge and Rutlish High Schools in Wimbledon, the UK, look at their mobile phones during an interview and discussion about their thoughts on a social media ban for under 16s. Photo: Reuters
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.

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.

A consumer makes a payment using a mobile phone. Photo: Shutterstock
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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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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Polymarket has come under scrutiny for crossing lines related to gambling as well as amplifying politically sensitive issues. Photo: Reuters
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.

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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The ⁠US alleges that for years, millions of American children under age 13 have been using TikTok and that the ‌site “has been collecting and retaining children’s personal information”. Photo illustration: AFP
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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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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The DeepSeek logo is displayed alongside its AI assistant app on a mobile phone. File photo: Reuters
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.

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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Experts gathered at the Web3 Festival in Hong Kong predict AI agents will lead the next leap in global finance with crypto, while how we interact with blockchain is likely to change indefinitely. Photo: AFP/Getty/TNS
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.

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.

Qwen generated 153.6 million downloads in February alone, more than double the combined total from the next eight major players, according to researchers. Photo: Shutterstock
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.

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.

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