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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

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Social media

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

Year founded

2009

last updated:

30 September, 2024

Facebook

Facebook and Instagram down for thousands of users, WhatsApp also affected

WhatsApp, Meta’s messaging application, was also down for more than 1,000 users.

12 Dec 2024 - 3:31AM

Singapore

Singapore saw 9,000 phishing takedowns, Meta says in scam centre alert

11 Dec 2024 - 9:46AM

Jimmy Lai trial

Hong Kong’s Jimmy Lai denies pushing staff to draft sanctions list for US

29 Nov 2024 - 1:00AM

Crime in Hong Kong

115 Hongkongers lose HK$22 million in a week in click farming scams

Police remind public to be wary of employment fraud schemes in which victims are baited with ‘commissions’ to boost online sales of products.

12 Nov 2024 - 6:11PM

Police have warned the public to be wary of scammers who promise easy money in click farming cons. Photo: SCMP

Malaysia

‘We don’t know what to do next’: father of missing Malaysian teen speaks out

The parents of 17-year-old Erma Fatima Shamsul Bahari are still searching for any clues to her location two weeks after her disappearance.

10 Nov 2024 - 7:38AMvideocam

Hong Kong politics

Editorial | Hong Kong’s civil servants get the app safety message

More secure services are needed for Hong Kong staff with the removal of unauthorised communication tools from work computers.

30 Oct 2024 - 7:45AM

Crime

Northern Ireland jails man who abused up to 3,500 girls online

One of his catfishing attacks, which occurred on social media platforms, led to the suicide of a 12-year-old US girl.

25 Oct 2024 - 11:39PMvideocam

Detective Chief Superintendent Eamonn Corrigan speaks outside Belfast Crown Court after prolific online predator Alexander McCartney was jailed for a minimum of 20 years. Photo: AP

Hong Kong society

Hong Kong civil service ban on WhatsApp, WeChat won’t hinder work: minister

Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung adds government employees have been given ample time to adapt to alternatives.

24 Oct 2024 - 5:00PM

Hong Kong science and tech

Hong Kong civil service restrictions on WhatsApp, WeChat necessary, experts say

Experts also call on government to improve risk intelligence systems and employee cybersecurity awareness.

23 Oct 2024 - 10:47PM

Hong Kong politics

Hong Kong restricts civil servants from using WhatsApp, WeChat at work

‘Desktops used internally in the government cannot have instant messaging services such as WhatsApp or WeChat, as they carry severe internet safety risks,’ minister says.

23 Oct 2024 - 11:59AM

Civil servants will need to obtain permission from their department bosses to use certain apps such as WhatsApp on their work computers. Photo: Reuters

Crime in Hong Kong

81 Hongkongers swindled out of HK$12 million in online job scams in past week

One victim duped out of more than HK$400,000 in click farming job scam after receiving WhatsApp message, police say.

14 Oct 2024 - 7:05PM

The force has advised residents to use its Scameter search engine to check for suspicious or fraudulent schemes. Photo: SCMP

Malaysia

Enticed by a fake ad, a Malaysian man lost US$6,000 in a sperm ‘lending’ scam

The scam exploited the victim’s poor literacy and used a local law firm’s name to appear legitimate.

24 Sep 2024 - 5:08PMvideocam

Artificial intelligence

Meta’s chatbot will speak in voices of celebrities like Awkwafina

Meta’s new feature comes after rival OpenAI introduced a ChatGPT voice that sounded like actress Scarlett Johansson, without her consent.

24 Sep 2024 - 12:00PM

Spain

Fake ‘Brad Pitt’ scams 2 women in Spain of more than US$360,000

Posing as the US actor, gang members allegedly promised a future with Pitt and proposed the women invest in projects that did not exist.

24 Sep 2024 - 9:17AM

France

Telegram messaging app CEO Pavel Durov arrested in France

Investigators allege the Russian-born billionaire’s platform has been used for money laundering and drug trafficking, among other offences.

26 Aug 2024 - 5:21AM

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov delivers a keynote speech during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, in February 2016. Photo: Reuters

Pakistan

Pakistan’s internet slowdown decried by investors and activists

Activists and business leaders decry the move by Pakistan’s government, saying the crackdown risks the country’s economic recovery.

18 Aug 2024 - 9:49PM

Cybersecurity

AI has made Hongkongers more vulnerable to fraud but is also used to fight back

Fraudsters are using AI to convincingly portray themselves as acquaintances and steal digital identities, driving demand for hi-tech cybersecurity solutions.

10 Aug 2024 - 12:00PM

Bangladesh

Nearly 100 dead as renewed anti-government protests rock Bangladesh

Bangladesh tightened a nationwide curfew and ordered a shutdown of mobile internet services to quell deadly protests.

5 Aug 2024 - 10:33AM

Men run past a shopping centre which was set on fire by protesters in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Photo: AP

China economy

Opinion | China’s tourism policy must now go beyond visa-free travel

China must make it easier for foreigners to experience the country and citizens to travel abroad if it wants to reconnect with the world.

3 Aug 2024 - 5:30AMvideocam

Britain

Ex-BBC anchor Huw Edwards pleads guilty to indecent child images charges

Edwards was the BBC’s highest paid journalist and top news anchor until he quit in April, following allegations he had paid a young person thousands of pounds for sexually explicit photos

1 Aug 2024 - 2:46AM

TikTok

TikTok fails to reverse EU decision that labelled it a ‘gatekeeper’ platform

TikTok owner ByteDance has lost a legal challenge that sought to reverse a European Union decision that the firm should not favour its own service over rivals.

20 Jul 2024 - 8:00AM

Cybersecurity

EU warns Meta over paid ad-free option on Instagram, Facebook

The company could face fines worth 10 per cent of its annual global revenues for breaching the Digital Markets Act.

2 Jul 2024 - 10:55AM

Meta Platforms breached the Digital Markets Act by forcing users to to choose between seeing ads or paying to avoid them, EU regulators say. Photo: AP Photo

Crime in Hong Kong

Explainer | How to stay safe online with fraudsters targeting Hong Kong users of Instagram

Post examines the latest trends and ways to guard against online fraudsters.

26 May 2024 - 6:05PM

Malaysia

‘This is dangerous’: Ulu Tiram attack spotlights Malaysia’s Isis sympathisers

Initial reports linked Friday’s ‘lone wolf’ attack on a police station in Johor Bahru to al-Qaeda affiliate Jemaah Islamiah, but extremism experts say young Southeast Asians prefer pro-Islamic State groups.

24 May 2024 - 9:16AM

Education in Hong Kong

Hong Kong teacher ‘visited foot massage parlour not prostitutes on Wuhan trip’

Secondary school teacher was visiting massage parlour in his free time when police conducted a surprise operation there, according to Facebook post.

16 May 2024 - 5:52PM

The teacher had been on a school trip to Wuhan in mainland China. Photo: Handout

Artificial intelligence

Why new Meta AI chatbot could make Instagram, WhatsApp dangerous

Meta AI recently brought assistants powered by generative AI to Instagram and WhatsApp. But beyond helping personalise social media, the technology may threaten democracy, and even freedom of speech.

7 May 2024 - 7:15PM

Meta AI recently brought generative AI-powered assistants to Instagram and WhatsApp, but rather than improving things, the technology may make social media a stronger tool for scammers, and constitute a threat to free speech. Photo: Shutterstock

Apple

Apple removes Meta’s WhatsApp and Threads services from China App Store

Chinese regulatory authorities had ordered the removal of those two apps over national security concerns, according to Apple.

19 Apr 2024 - 5:00PM

Banking & finance

Fraudsters pose as HKMA to part Hongkongers from their money via WhatsApp

Scam operators seemingly thumb their noses at the regulator, which recently launched a campaign warning the public about financial frauds.

18 Apr 2024 - 8:07PMvideocam

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