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The latest news, analysis and opinion on Internet. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Word of the Year 2025 choices around the world – including Oxford’s “rage bait” and Cambridge Dictionary’s “parasocial” – reflect the increasing influence that artificial intelligence has on everyday life. Photo: Shutterstock
Chinese culture

Language Matters | Word of the Year 2025 choices reflect how virtual our reality has become

From Oxford’s ‘rage bait’ to Macquarie Dictionary’s ‘AI slop’, 2025 WOTYs show the influence of the virtual world on our daily lives.

Gun violence in the US

How right-wing misinformation hurt the Brown University shooting investigation

United States

‘The wheels fell off’: Coldplay kiss cam woman breaks silence

Technology

Opinion | Why AI chatbots are unlikely to bring about human extinction

Stories of chatbots behaving in surprising ways are fuelling the rise of ‘AI doomers’ who warn of the risk of human extinction. This extreme view is misguided.

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Photo: Reuters
Artificial intelligence

ByteDance AI model usage grows over tenfold on strong demand from Chinese firms

‘AI is being adopted at an unprecedented speed,’ Tan Dai, president at cloud unit Volcano Engine, says.

Australia

Why Southeast Asia’s move to protect children online may fuel state surveillance

Measures to rein in tech companies risk opening the door to tighter state oversight of online platforms, analysts say.

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Artificial intelligence

Tencent shakes up AI operations, names recent recruit as chief AI scientist

Vinces Yao Shunyu now serves as chief AI scientist under the CEO’s office, reporting directly to Tencent president Martin Lau.

Tencent Holdings’ latest restructuring underscored the intense competition in the country’s fast-developing AI sector. Photo: Shutterstock
E-commerce

No ‘lowest-price’ requirement: China warns platforms on monopolistic tactics

Regulators tell platforms that demanding the ‘lowest price’ from vendors may not be permitted under new draft guidelines.

Artificial intelligence

Video | Japanese woman marries AI partner

Woman says she developed feelings for and decided to marry a chatbot she created and calibrated following her break-up with a human fiancé.

Australia

‘Terrified’ Sydney man with same name misidentified as Bondi gunman

After an online photo was shared thousands of times with ‘terrible’ comments, the young man pleaded for ‘help to stop this propaganda’.

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This screen grab from video footage courtesy of Timothy Brant-Coles shows two gunmen firing from a bridge at Bondi Beach in Sydney on Sunday. Photo: Handout via AFP
Social media

Video | How a block of online text led to a cafe’s viral stardom

Tai Bo Cafe in Yuen Long has gone viral online thanks to a copypasta trend on Threads recommending their meat patties, and have seen customers from as far as Macau.

Yuen Long cafe’s meat patties skyrockets to fame after viral online copypasta trend
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Scams and swindles

How the global grey market in SIM cards powers fraud and influence

How much does an army of bots cost? A new study reveals how likes and clout are bought.

Australia

Opinion | Australia’s social media ban offers a path between excess and inaction

For policymakers elsewhere, Canberra’s approach to children’s social media use isn’t a model to copy but one to learn from.

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South Korea

South Korea mandates labels on AI-generated adverts to curb deepfakes

Platforms like YouTube and Facebook must ensure compliance with AI labels, or face punitive fines for non-compliance and label tampering.

Examples of artificial intelligence-generated ads featuring fake medical experts. Photo: Handout
Australia

‘#seeyouwhenim16’: Australia’s social media ban for children takes effect

PM Albanese called the ban, which is being closely watched by other nations considering similar measures, ‘a proud day’ for families.

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A girl uses her phone as she walks with a group of children in Sydney on Monday. Photo: AP
Social media

‘A lot of fear’: Australia’s under-16s anxious ahead of social media ban

As blocks begin on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram before the summer holiday, teens worry they will be ‘basically isolated’ from their friends.

Australia

Video | Australia’s under-16 social media ban due to take effect

Platforms have started notifying users under 16 that their access will soon be blocked.

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Singapore

Can Singapore’s cyber laws keep pace with speed of borderless online threats?

Long-term resilience will hinge on complementary measures such as deeper regional cooperation and improved digital literacy, analysts say.

Singapore’s central business district. The city state has a tailored and multilayered system to deal with misinformation and inflammatory online material. Photo: Reuters
Vietnam

Asian Angle | Vietnam’s anti-drug police are speaking Gen Z, and it’s working

Ho Chi Minh City’s police have found a way to wrap dry state messaging in viral humour, mirroring China’s digital playbook.

Indonesia

Jakarta vs the internet: Indonesia’s gamble with digital freedom

As the government demands global tech firms like Cloudflare bend to its will, critics say it’s ‘burning the rice barn to kill the rats’.

Fame and celebrity

US actress Tara Reid seen downing wine in footage from night of alleged drugging

The ‘American Pie’ star accused a YouTuber of spiking her drink, but he denies it and authorities say the video is clear.

Tara Reid attends a benefit gala in Los Angeles in 2023. Photo: Getty Images/TNS
Australia

TikTok will block under-16s in Australia to comply with ‘upsetting’ new law

Australia’s world-first legislation banning under-16s from social media platforms and websites comes into effect on December 10.

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TikTok will comply with an under-16 ban in Australia on social media use. Photo: Shutterstock
Singapore

‘Better late than never’: Singapore parents laud curbs on phone use in schools

The city state is among countries that have stepped up measures to curb screen time and tighten social media restrictions for adolescents.

India

India scraps mandatory cybersecurity app on new phones after backlash

The Indian government confidentially ordered companies like Apple, Samsung, and Xiaomi to install the Sanchar Saathi app on their new phones.

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.

Six-year-old Enrique Navarro watches a show on YouTube at his home in western Sydney on October 30. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

HK$60,000 fire subsidy only for Wang Fuk Court residents: Hong Kong minister

Home affairs minister Alice Mak issues clarification amid rumours of abuse, says no formal reports made so far.

A counter set up by the Social Welfare Department for fire victims to apply for aid. Photo: Edmond So
Singapore

Singapore ‘sharenting’: where does openness end and overexposure begin?

While sharing children’s exam results may serve to document life’s journey, it may also expose them to danger, counsellors say.

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Wealth: Alternative Investments

Could investing in China’s AI industry prove more lucrative than the US’?

Amid US fears of an AI bubble, experts argue that China’s home-grown innovation offers robust growth opportunities for investors.

Supported by
BNP Paribas Wealth Management
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