The Asia Pacific is the most dynamic digital landscape in the world, home to the fastest adopters of new technologies and the largest concentration of mobile and social media users. An escalation in online activism, changing cyber dynamics, developments in digital diplomacy and the exploitation of big data are shaping the region's engagement with the world.
- Despite their blocked status, Facebook and Google (along with a little known Hong Kong-based company) are teaming up to build a huge undersea Internet cable to China.
- Cyber-attackers are pivoting to Asia, with attacks in the region now double the global average (even though there’s actually been a decline in Chinese cyberattacks).
- Indonesian security officials are conducting social media ‘cyber patrols’, identifying groups they believe are engaged in political smearing leading up to the February 2017 election to choose Jakarta’s next governor.
- Chinese app-makers are taking on India’s smartphone market.
- Following the death of Thailand’s revered king, police have intensified online monitoring operations. Internet companies are urging customers and social media networks to report and block content that may be potentially insulting to the royal family.
- While Netflix abandons its China plans due to the ‘challenging regulatory environment’, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg marches on, but here’s why you shouldn’t get too excited.
- Established to counter external hacking, South Korea’s military cyber command found itself the victim of a serious cyber attack last month.
- Great insight into the OPM cyber attack (now tied to Chinese hackers) and why it shocked the US Government.
- While Xinjiang netizens react to the Public Security Bureau’s Weibo request to inspect and recall passports, a leaked Xinjiang police report describes Internet censorship circumvention tools (ie. VPNs & web proxies) as ‘second class violent and terrorist software’.
- This great documentary from WIRED explains how Chinese city Shenzhen became the Silicon Valley of hardware innovation:
Photo: Getty Images/Bloomberg
