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Mobile messaging

The TON blockchain was started by Telegram but later abandoned after regulatory challenges before a separate group took up its development. It is now pushing adoption through Telegram mini apps. Photo: Shutterstock

TON blockchain on Telegram teams with HashKey to help Asian users trade crypto

HashKey will facilitate the sale and purchase of Toncoin, the native token of the TON blockchain, which was started by Telegram Messenger.

  • HashKey will facilitate the sale and purchase of Toncoin, the native token of the TON blockchain, which was started by Telegram Messenger
  • TON Foundation, which now manages the blockchain, is betting on familiarity with ‘super apps’ to drive adoption in Asia

Editorial | Hong Kong hashtag fight against scams needs support

Text messages by 23 Hong Kong mobile service providers to carry ‘#’ prefix

Data of 900 Hongkongers exposed in hack attack of WhatsApp accounts

Hackers hit five social services and schools, compromising details, including names and mobile phone numbers of users, parents and pupils.

The city’s privacy commissioner has warned of a large-scale WhatsApp hack involving schools and social services’ accounts. Photo: Shutterstock

Fresh crackdown on mobile phone fraudsters targeting Hong Kong announced

Anti-fraud voice and message alerts to warn call recipients about potential scams to be added to all numbers prefixed with ‘+852’.

Your mobile phone is killing me

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South Korea’s KakaoTalk outage a ‘wake-up call’ to regulate online services

After a data centre fire caused an hours-long shutdown of nearly all online services by Kakao Corp, including KakaoTalk that is used by 53 million people worldwide, President Yoon Suk-yeol has hinted at introducing regulations for such online platforms.

The blaze at SK C&C in southern Seoul on Saturday caused an hours-long breakdown across nearly all online services provided by Kakao Corp, including messenger app KakaoTalk, and other services such as ride-hailing, payment and gaming. Photo: Reuters

Singaporeans must be wary of rising foreign influence efforts, PM Lee warns

Singaporeans need to guard against influence operations regardless of their source to safeguard the country’s sovereignty and independence, PM Lee Hsien Loong says.

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China Mobile ends iMessage-like service after missing WeChat revolution

China Mobile announced that it would stop providing service for Feixin by the end of September, ending a once-dominant SMS alternative that quickly lost ground to Tencent’s WeChat.

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Hongkongers lost billions to phone, online scams in first 4 months of year

Nearly one-fourth of money victims lost was swindled through email fraud, while phone scammers pocketed HK$280 million.

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Fraudsters swindled HK$1.28 billion from more than 6,000 Hongkongers through online and phone scams in the first 4 months of the year. Photo: SCMP

WeChat uses pop-up alert to contest rumours about blocking Shanghai lockdown posts

Sharing screenshots of posts making the accusation that the app is separating Shanghai users will now prompt a pop-up notification from WeChat dismissing the claims.

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Tencent’s WeChat is a Chinese multi-purpose messaging, social media and mobile payment app. Photo: Shutterstock

BlackBerry mobile phone devices become obsolete

BlackBerry once had widespread commercial success but now reaches the end of its life and the end of an era as company pulls the plug.

Opinion | Dangerous data: Telenor’s Myanmar exit may put customers’ lives at risk

Data of 18 million people, including call-data records, part of sale five months after military coup; means possibility of detention, torture, murder.

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China’s mobile carriers to launch new 5G messaging service

China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom are expected to roll out their new 5G messaging service, with electronic payment function, this month.

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Attendees use their smartphones near China Mobile’s booth at the China International Information and Communication Exhibition, an annual event known as PT Expo China, in Beijing on September 28, 2021. Photo: AP

Ireland fines WhatsApp US$267 million for breaching EU privacy laws

The fine on Facebook’s WhatsApp messaging service is the largest penalty issued to a company by the Irish data protection commission.

WhatsApp said it would appeal the decision. Photo: Reuters

China declares war on ‘fake news’ in blow to social media

The new internet content crackdown targets “illegal news activities”, putting pressure on social media platforms to weed out unregulated content creators.

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As divide grows between Modi and tech firms, is India ‘going the China way’?

The government is seeking tighter control of digital media amid a wave of discontent over India’s Covid-19 pandemic response and other policies.

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Encrypted messenger Signal is banned in China, joining WhatsApp and Telegram

Before it was blocked, Signal stood as the last major foreign messaging app that was still accessible in mainland China without a virtual private network connection.

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Signal is widely regarded as one of the most secure messaging apps available, leading many to speculate about when it might be banned in China, which finally happened on Tuesday. Photo: AFP

Xiaomi messaging app gets audio-focused makeover after Clubhouse ban

Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi overhauled its defunct messaging app MiTalk and turned it into an invite-only audio chat platform for professionals, vying with other similar apps to fill the void left by Clubhouse’s ban in the country.

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Letters | Learn from Singapore to ease privacy concerns over Covid app

The Singapore government set clear boundaries over the use of TraceTogether data, and the app itself does not collect GPS or mobile network information. Signal also offers a lesson in openness, which Hong Kong should take to hear.

Hong Kong privacy watchdog urges WhatsApp to pump brakes on policy changes

WhatsApp has informed its more than 2 billion users that they will need to agree to a new policy allowing it to share data with its parent company, Facebook.

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WhatsApp has notified its users that they have until February 8 to agree to new privacy terms. Photo: Shutterstock

Tencent hires former US congressman and national security hawk as lobbyist

The Chinese tech company owns WeChat, which is facing a possible ban in the US.

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WeChat, which is owned by Tencent Holdings, has been threatened with a ban in the US. Photo: Bloomberg

TikTok, WeChat targeted for US ban with Trump’s latest executive orders

Unspecified ‘transactions’ with Chinese owners of the popular video and messaging services to be barred within 45 days.

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Chinese-Australians hunt white men who hit Asian delivery rider

The incident in Adelaide’s Chinatown is among a growing trend of racist attacks against Asian-Australians.

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Facebook to suspend user information requests from Hong Kong government

The pause will take place ‘pending further assessment’ of a new national security law, Facebook says.

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The new law aims to stop and punish acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. Photo: AP

Facebook’s ads business hit by Covid-19 pandemic despite surge in usage

Many of Facebook’s products, including Messenger and WhatsApp, have seen a spike in traffic as people stay home in regions hit hardest by the virus, but its ads business is still suffering.

Facebook has seen an “unprecedented” spike in usage for many of its services, driven by demand for information and messaging during the coronavirus pandemic. Photo: Shutterstock

How Telegram became a refuge for WeChat users during the coronavirus outbreak

Telegram features like channel broadcasts and optional chat encryption have helped some people stay up to date amid heavy censorship on Tencent’s WeChat

This 30,000-person online chat tells you where to buy masks during the coronavirus outbreak

Hong Kongers flock to 2-week-old Telegram channel and homespun website for crowdsourced coronavirus information

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Mobile messaging
From China’s most popular smartphone messaging app WeChat to Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, these services are changing the way people communicate with each other around the world. 
last updated:
9 September, 2024
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