-
TOPIC

Internet

Internet
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Internet. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
People play Pokemon Go in Hong Kong on July 25, 2016, the day it was released in the city. The online game was one of the hottest trends in the city 10 years ago. Photo: Nora Tam
Hong Kong

2016 trends from Pokemon Go to poke bowls amid viral internet nostalgia

Looking back at 2016 is viral online, but what was hot back then? We look at food, travel, health and pop culture trends from a decade ago.

Banking & finance

HSBC suffers temporary system shutdown, stopping services in Hong Kong

videocam
5
Artificial intelligence

China’s cloud giants race to support Moltbot, the ‘AI that actually does things’

TV shows and streaming video

YouTube star IShowSpeed shows ‘another Africa’ on his 20-country tour

African-American influencer has busted cliches by showing a continent ‘on the move’ during his trip, which has resonated with fans at home.

videocam
American YouTube, Instagram and Twitch megastar IShowSpeed meets fans in Accra, Ghana, during his Africa tour. The influencer has shown a modernising continent, and has taken in the odd football match along the way. Photo: AP
Semiconductors

Hygon’s chips ‘safe’ from AMD security flaw amid China’s tech self-reliance push

That result shows Hygon’s efforts in redesigning the chip architecture licensed from AMD with self-developed innovations.

Artificial intelligence

DeepSeek taps Alibaba open-source AI technology to boost OCR performance

The Chinese AI start-up says its latest OCR model delivers stronger performance after adopting an Alibaba-developed open-source model.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
European Union

EU opens probe into Musk’s Grok over sexual AI deepfakes

Brussels targets X with a new probe into ‘digital undressing’, vowing to protect women and children from illegal AI content.

The EU will investigate Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot for allegedly sharing illegal content, risking a hefty fine. Photo: TNS
France

Macron pushes forward France’s social media ban for under 15s

France’s health watchdog said that 90 per cent of children between 12 and 17 use smartphones daily to access the internet.

China’s internet censorship

Xibei vs the influencer: why Beijing called time on a restaurant food feud

Communist Party mouthpiece says it’s worrying that online posts can create a crisis for a long-standing business.

videocam
United States

Bezos’ Blue Origin to deploy thousands of satellites to rival Musk’s Starlink

The TeraWave plan coincides with a rush to build data centres in space that can meet the soaring demand for large-scale AI data processing.

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket lifts off carrying Amazon’s Project Kuiper internet network satellites from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida in April 2025. Photo: Reauters
World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos

Duel in Davos: Macron’s ‘Top Gun’ shades charm internet, get mocked by Trump

The French leader’s US$770 sunglasses, which he wore as he criticised the US president, have sparked a flood of social media memes.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron wears sunglasses as he attends the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters
Japan

Japan arrests man for selling AI-generated celebrity porn

A 31-year-old in Japan arrested for using generative AI to create and sell 520,000 explicit images of celebrities for US$70,000 in profit.

China stock market

China’s advances in AI fuel tech stock boom, help it shake off economic malaise

China’s rise recasts the country from a low-cost base to a credible US tech challenger, just as global capital hunts for next growth engine.

Artificial intelligence

Tencent seeks cooperation with other AI firms to better serve vulnerable users

Tencent Research Institute looks to build expert data sets for AI models that could broadly benefit the world’s second most populous nation.

Tencent Research Institute is looking to improve the output of generative AI services when interacting with the elderly and other vulnerable users in society. Photo: Shutterstock
Iran

Iran’s leader says ‘thousands’ killed in protests, Trump a ‘criminal’

The comments by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are the first admission by Tehran on the death toll from the unrest.

20
Protesters gather as vehicles burn, amid anti-government protests in Tehran, Iran, in this screen grab from a social media video released on January 9. Photo: Social media via Reuters
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.

Hong Kong society

Hongkonger missing in protest-hit Iran safe and ‘in touch’ with authorities

Immigration Department says it has also advised the woman to leave Iran as soon as possible.

8
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
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.

Screens display the logo of Grok and its founder Elon Musk. Photo: AFP
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.

Regulation

Beijing opens antitrust investigation into Trip.com before Lunar New Year break

The Trip.com case shows how China’s regulatory inquiries into various online platforms have become the norm.

Indonesia

Indonesian comedian hit with blasphemy complaints over Netflix jokes

Pandji Pragiwaksono’s unfiltered set took aim at the president, but it was a quip about religious groups that triggered police reports.

A still from the trailer for Indonesian comedian Pandji Pragiwaksono’s new Netflix special “Mens Rea”. Photo: YouTube/pandji.pragiwaksono
Africa

Uganda shuts down internet as Museveni seeks to extend 40-year rule

Government imposes a blackout as the 81-year-old leader moves to secure a seventh term in Thursday’s election.

A wall decorated with posters supporting Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni. Photo: AFP
Middle East

Trump urges on protesters in Iran as crackdown death toll surges

As Tehran accuses the US of inciting violence, Trump warns of ‘very strong action’ if Iran hangs protesters.

videocam
78
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
Crime in Hong Kong

Online shopping scams cost Hongkongers HK$14 million in first week of 2026

Police urge caution among consumers and sellers after receiving 276 reports of online shopping fraud last week.

4
The cases and losses reported last week marked a significant increase from the 230 reports and more than HK$5.7 million lost in the final week of 2025. Photo: Getty Images
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
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement