WeChat

But the platforms they thrived on have started to turn against them. Just a few weeks ago, WeChat and Douyin began suspending, removing, or restricting their accounts. While influencers on these platforms have been turning people’s anxiety into traffic and profits for a long time, the latest actions show how Chinese social platforms are trying to contain the damage before it goes too far.  The backlash started last month, as students angrily complained on social media about the superficiality of the courses, saying that…

India offers lessons for the world struggling to contain manifest cybersecurity threats from companies of Chinese origin or those linked to its political philosophy, US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) commissioner Brendan Carr told ET, pointing to New Delhi’s pre-emptive action against entities posing both commercial and security challenges to an increasingly digital economy.In an exclusive interview, Carr, who is on his maiden India trip, said that India’s actions on the short-video platform TikTok and telecom…

Josh Xiao / Bloomberg: China's Ministry of State Security warns unnamed hackers are obtaining data on key issues, like food production and the weather, in a series of WeChat posts — - A growing array of sensitive data is being pilfered, MSS warns — Beijing's vague warnings could spook foreign businesses Josh Xiao / Bloomberg: China's Ministry of State Security warns unnamed hackers are obtaining data on key issues, like food production and the weather, in a series of WeChat posts …

Catch up with China 1. Sam Altman’s plan for a $7 trillion-worth semiconductor empire includes building dozens of chip fabrication plants with money from Middle East investors, then having the Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC run them. (Wall Street Journal $) 2. A former TikTok executive is suing the company for unlawfully firing her due to what they called a lack of “docility and meekness.” (Financial Times $) 3. If he’s reelected, Donald Trump is promising a 60% tariff on all Chinese imports. If that actually happens (big…

According to a recent report by US-based tech firm TRG Datacentres, over 1 million people worldwide searched 'how to delete (my) Instagram account' each month in 2023, marking a significant shift in user priorities.In a dynamic shift of social media preferences, Instagram is facing a decline as users globally seek to delete their accounts. According to a recent report by US-based tech firm TRG Datacentres, over 1 million people worldwide searched 'how to delete (my) Instagram account' each month in 2023, marking a…

Amap, for example, is one of the most widely used map and navigation apps in China today. But when I open it on my phone, I can see over 30 functions that you wouldn’t find on Western-equivalent apps. Some of them still feel integral to the map experience, like recording when you last filled your car with gas, calling for roadside assistance, or comparing the prices of ride-hailing services. Others are pretty far removed: the app lets me check the purchase price of cars and contact a dealership, set up exercise goals…

China's cyberspace regulator said on Wednesday children under the age of 18 should be limited to a maximum of two hours a day on their smartphones, sending shares in tech companies tumbling.The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said it wanted providers of smart devices to introduce so-called minor mode programs that would bar users under 18 from accessing the internet on mobile devices from 10 pm to 6 am.Providers would also have to set time limits under the proposed reforms, the CAC said.Users aged 16 to 18 would…

A senate committee investigating how foreign powers use social media to interfere in Australia has recommended a swathe of rules and restrictions for social media platforms, including potentially banning Chinese messaging service WeChat on government devices.Tuesday's report contains 17 recommendations including new transparency rules enforceable by fines, expanding an existing TikTok ban on government devices to contractors and investigating a ban on WeChat on government devices.Companies like TikTok and WeChat posed…

The rebranding exercise has come to an end and for all intents and purposes, Twitter is now X. Part of company owner Elon Musk's grander vision of creating a super app, X is now here to create its own identity, and all of it was done in a mere three-day period. There is one little question many are wondering. Rebranding a company as large as Twitter usually takes weeks if not months. So, was Musk rushing things and cutting corners with his haphazard logo change? A new report has highlighted some irregularities around the…

Elon Musk is rebranding his Twitter platform as "X" and wants to create a super-app where users will do all their finances as well as their socialising.His inspiration is China's WeChat, which dominates the Chinese internet with chat, payments, games and a host of other functions in its walled garden. Musk has hinted that this kind of "everything app" is his goal for the X platform but experts reckon he will struggle. - What is WeChat? -The app was launched by China's big tech behemoth Tencent in 2011 to replace an…