WhatsApp: Latest News and Updates | South China Morning Post

TOPIC

/ company

The latest news, analysis and opinion on WhatsApp. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Chairman / President

Nitin Gupta

CEO / Managing Director

Will Cathcart

CFO / Finance Director

Jonathan Blames

Industry

Social media

Website

whatsapp.com

Headquarters address

1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, California, 94025, USA

Year founded

2009

The fake collection bags were light blue, rather than dark blue ones used by the authentic volunteers. Photo: Threads/ms.lionheadrabbit

Crime in Hong Kong

Man arrested over flag-day scam targeting animal charity donations

Man, 22, arrested after 14 people allegedly hired to act as volunteers to collect donations for Hong Kong Saving Cat and Dog Association.

6 Sep 2026 - 9:58PM

Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong WhatsApp hijacking scams surge 170% to nearly 2,000 cases

31 Aug 2026 - 7:00AM

Singapore

Costly lesson: how Singapore investors are lured by foreign-stock scams

28 Aug 2026 - 5:41PM

Hong Kong science and tech

Hong Kong parents to get alerts over teens’ self-harm searches on Instagram

Meta Platforms rolls out alerts to help parents intervene when teenagers repeatedly search for self-harm-related content as part of wider safety measures.

28 Aug 2026 - 3:45PM

Meta has introduced alerts for Hong Kong parents when teenagers repeatedly search for suicide- or self-harm-related terms. Photo: Elson Li

Crime in Hong Kong

Multi-property owner loses HK$10 million after fraudster poses as possible tenant

Woman duped into bogus friendship by scammer, who promised tips on how to make money fast with cryptocurrencies.

15 Aug 2026 - 2:20AM

Hong Kong workers/labour rights

How a Hong Kong charity is using AI to help migrant workers tackle exploitation

Migrasia says AI chatbot PoBot serves as centralised call centre, providing instant support and gathering data to identify patterns of abuse.

8 Aug 2026 - 8:59PM

United States

Meta ordered in US to pay US$567 million to address child safety harms

Company says it will appeal after a New Mexico judge directs funds to youth mental health programmes and orders app changes.

7 Aug 2026 - 10:12AM

An art installation in Los Angeles highlights the dangers young people face online. Meta has been ordered by a US judge to pay US$567 million over child safety harms. Photo: AFP

Russia

Russia charges Telegram founder with aiding terror, issues wanted alert

FSB accuses app administration of enabling acts of sabotage and cyberfraud by Ukrainian forces.

29 Jul 2026 - 6:29PM

Scams and swindles

Fake Dubai prince scam: how AI deepfakes love-bomb victims to steal hearts and money

Fraudsters use real-time face-swapping tech and the likeness of royal ‘Fazza’ to ensnare vulnerable targets.

3 Jul 2026 - 1:36PM

India

India orders WhatsApp to halt username feature over anonymity concerns

The stand-off forces WhatsApp to weigh compliance against mounting concerns about government interference in its biggest market.

2 Jul 2026 - 3:36PMvideocam

The WhatsApp app icon is seen on a smartphone. India has asked WhatsApp to justify the implementation of a planned feature covering usernames and to freeze the rollout. Photo: Reuters

Hong Kong society

No need to share numbers as WhatsApp set to introduce new feature for texting

Starting this week, users can reserve unique usernames that allow them to text without swapping numbers later this year.

30 Jun 2026 - 8:23PM

Meta has said it will notify users when the feature is available in their respective countries. Photo: Edmond So

Hong Kong police

Hong Kong physiotherapist loses HK$5m in scam involving ‘beautiful assistant’

Facebook ad redirected victim to WhatsApp chat with scammer who pushed fake ‘SecuG Pro’ investment app and solicited transfers.

29 Jun 2026 - 8:29PM

Britain

My Take | Putting the social media genie back in the bottle will not be easy to do

The determination around the world to crack down on the use of these platforms by children is a response to the mounting evidence of the harm it can do.

27 Jun 2026 - 10:45PM

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.

17 Jun 2026 - 9:36PM

A man uses smartphones in Kabul on Tuesday. Photo: EPA

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.

15 Jun 2026 - 6:48PM

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

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.

2 May 2026 - 6:31PM

Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong car owner loses HK$500,000 in fuel membership card scam

Fraudsters exploit surging fuel prices by offering bogus prepaid petrol card deals, police say.

8 Apr 2026 - 7:46PM

United States

Meta and Google liable for damages in landmark US addiction trial

Jury orders US$6 million payout to a young woman, a verdict that could affect thousands of similar cases against tech companies.

26 Mar 2026 - 1:39PM

Social media

Meta ordered to pay US$375 million in New Mexico child safety trial

Meta said it would challenge the decision after a jury found the social media giant liable for endangering minors.

25 Mar 2026 - 9:26AM

Artificial intelligence

Tencent adds ClawBot plug-in to WeChat amid OpenClaw boom and privacy warnings

With over 1 billion users, WeChat becomes Tencent’s biggest OpenClaw campaign, bringing into focus opportunity and regulatory caution.

23 Mar 2026 - 10:30PM

Ukraine war

Most of Ukraine’s Chernihiv region has no power after Russian attack

Meanwhile, although Putin’s regime has thwarted protests over the blocking of the popular messaging app, Telegram, there is still discontent.

21 Mar 2026 - 8:15PMvideocam

Yevheniia Yeremina, 89, stands in her kitchen using a gas stove to warm her apartment, which has no electricity and heating, in Kyiv on January 26. Russia has often attacked Ukrainian energy infrastructure amid its invasion. Photo: AFP

Scams and swindles

150,000 Meta accounts shut down in Southeast Asian scam centre crackdown

Meta has also launched protective tools such as Facebook and WhatsApp alerts for suspicious friend requests and activities.

12 Mar 2026 - 8:17PMvideocam

Workstations used by scam operators are seen after a police raid in Phnom Penh on Wednesday. Photo: EPA

Russia

WhatsApp accuses Russia of blocking service to force users to state ‘super-app’

WhatsApp and Telegram sound the alarm as the Kremlin chokes off Western apps to promote MAX, a state-backed rival modeled after China’s WeChat.

12 Feb 2026 - 6:57PM

India

India tightens social media grip as Meta, YouTube, X face 3-hour takedown rules

New rules tighten compliance deadlines, forcing platforms to remove flagged AI-generated content and misinformation within hours or face legal action.

10 Feb 2026 - 9:38PM

Artificial intelligence

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

Hyperscalers embrace the AI agent, which can execute tasks without step-by-step instructions, but privacy concerns loom large.

29 Jan 2026 - 8:00PM

The global AI industry is moving towards developing AI agents capable of autonomously executing tasks on behalf of users. Photo: Shutterstock

Malaysia

Malaysia moves to regulate WhatsApp, Facebook and others under online safety law

The decision to deem major platforms licensed regardless of application closes a regulatory gap, but questions remain over enforcement.

1 Jan 2026 - 5:50PM

Young women using a smartphone in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. From January 1, major social media and messaging platforms with more than eight million users in Malaysia are treated as licensed under a new online safety regime. Photo: AP

Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong online investment scams surge 20% as losses hit HK$3.08 billion

80 per cent of all fraudulent messages disseminated through Meta-owned platforms including Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram.

22 Dec 2025 - 11:37PM

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.

18 Dec 2025 - 5:29PMvideocam

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WhatsApp

Man arrested over flag-day scam targeting animal charity donations

Man, 22, arrested after 14 people allegedly hired to act as volunteers to collect donations for Hong Kong Saving Cat and Dog Association.

Hong Kong WhatsApp hijacking scams surge 170% to nearly 2,000 cases

Costly lesson: how Singapore investors are lured by foreign-stock scams

Hong Kong parents to get alerts over teens’ self-harm searches on Instagram

Meta Platforms rolls out alerts to help parents intervene when teenagers repeatedly search for self-harm-related content as part of wider safety measures.

Multi-property owner loses HK$10 million after fraudster poses as possible tenant

Woman duped into bogus friendship by scammer, who promised tips on how to make money fast with cryptocurrencies.

How a Hong Kong charity is using AI to help migrant workers tackle exploitation

Migrasia says AI chatbot PoBot serves as centralised call centre, providing instant support and gathering data to identify patterns of abuse.

Meta ordered in US to pay US$567 million to address child safety harms

Company says it will appeal after a New Mexico judge directs funds to youth mental health programmes and orders app changes.

Russia charges Telegram founder with aiding terror, issues wanted alert

FSB accuses app administration of enabling acts of sabotage and cyberfraud by Ukrainian forces.

Fake Dubai prince scam: how AI deepfakes love-bomb victims to steal hearts and money

Fraudsters use real-time face-swapping tech and the likeness of royal ‘Fazza’ to ensnare vulnerable targets.

India orders WhatsApp to halt username feature over anonymity concerns

The stand-off forces WhatsApp to weigh compliance against mounting concerns about government interference in its biggest market.

No need to share numbers as WhatsApp set to introduce new feature for texting

Starting this week, users can reserve unique usernames that allow them to text without swapping numbers later this year.

Hong Kong physiotherapist loses HK$5m in scam involving ‘beautiful assistant’

Facebook ad redirected victim to WhatsApp chat with scammer who pushed fake ‘SecuG Pro’ investment app and solicited transfers.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}My Take | Putting the social media genie back in the bottle will not be easy to do

The determination around the world to crack down on the use of these platforms by children is a response to the mounting evidence of the harm it can do.

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.

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.

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.

Hong Kong car owner loses HK$500,000 in fuel membership card scam

Fraudsters exploit surging fuel prices by offering bogus prepaid petrol card deals, police say.

Meta and Google liable for damages in landmark US addiction trial

Jury orders US$6 million payout to a young woman, a verdict that could affect thousands of similar cases against tech companies.

Meta ordered to pay US$375 million in New Mexico child safety trial

Meta said it would challenge the decision after a jury found the social media giant liable for endangering minors.

Tencent adds ClawBot plug-in to WeChat amid OpenClaw boom and privacy warnings

With over 1 billion users, WeChat becomes Tencent’s biggest OpenClaw campaign, bringing into focus opportunity and regulatory caution.

Most of Ukraine’s Chernihiv region has no power after Russian attack

Meanwhile, although Putin’s regime has thwarted protests over the blocking of the popular messaging app, Telegram, there is still discontent.

150,000 Meta accounts shut down in Southeast Asian scam centre crackdown

Meta has also launched protective tools such as Facebook and WhatsApp alerts for suspicious friend requests and activities.

WhatsApp accuses Russia of blocking service to force users to state ‘super-app’

WhatsApp and Telegram sound the alarm as the Kremlin chokes off Western apps to promote MAX, a state-backed rival modeled after China’s WeChat.

India tightens social media grip as Meta, YouTube, X face 3-hour takedown rules

New rules tighten compliance deadlines, forcing platforms to remove flagged AI-generated content and misinformation within hours or face legal action.

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

Hyperscalers embrace the AI agent, which can execute tasks without step-by-step instructions, but privacy concerns loom large.

Malaysia moves to regulate WhatsApp, Facebook and others under online safety law

The decision to deem major platforms licensed regardless of application closes a regulatory gap, but questions remain over enforcement.

Hong Kong online investment scams surge 20% as losses hit HK$3.08 billion

80 per cent of all fraudulent messages disseminated through Meta-owned platforms including Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram.

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.

My Take | Putting the social media genie back in the bottle will not be easy to do