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WhatsApp
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WhatsApp

WhatsApp
WhatsApp
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.

Crime in Hong Kong

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

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Singapore

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

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.

Meta has introduced alerts for Hong Kong parents when teenagers repeatedly search for suicide- or self-harm-related terms. Photo: Elson Li
Meta’s expanded Teen Accounts protections include limits on stranger contact, content restrictions and reminders after 60 minutes of use. Photo: Sam Tsang
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.

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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
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.

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.

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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.

Parents who say they have lost their children due to social media hold up a banner with names outside the court. Photo: Reuters
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.

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.

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.

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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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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