The Asia Pacific is the most dynamic digital landscape in the world, home to the fastest adopters of new technologies, the largest concentration of social media and mobile users, and some of the world's most innovative tech companies. The rise of mobile messenger apps, use of big data and online activism are shaping the region's engagement with the world.
- This week, China, India and Russia appear to have struck a three-way intelligence sharing agreement focused on preventing the use of ICTs by terrorists.
- PNG Prime Minister Peter O'Neill has cited social media as playing a role in his Government's shock decision to change its stance on West Papua: 'time has come for us to speak about the oppression of our people there'. (h/t @liamfoxabc.)
- Drones are increasingly being used to capture footage of protest movements, including of Hong Kong's Umbrella Movement protests. This blog post analyses this technological shift and looks at other ways drones are being used by civil society actors.
- Singapore is well on its way to becoming the world's first Smart Nation. Despite some privacy concerns, neighbouring governments, including Indonesia, are hoping to leverage off Singapore's e-government success.
- China has further tightened the rules of online use. As China's world wide web rapidly shrinks, ChinaFile hosts a great discussion on whether China's internet is becoming an intranet.
- With Japanese mobile messenger app LINE launching a grocery delivery service in Thailand, this article examines the transformation of Asia's popular messenger apps into multi-purpose platforms.
- Finally (and in a brief departure from the Asia Pacific), the Wall Street Journal looks at how social media has become a lifeline for civilians under fire in the Ukraine (get around the paywall by googling the headline; h/t @BrendanTN_?) ?.