Coupang fine causes rumbles in Washington – Asian Tech Roundup

Plus: India relaxes self-driving rules in an effort to curb road deaths

Welcome to Computing's weekly roundup of tech news in Asia. This time we look at how South Korea’s record-breaking data breach fine is threatening to become a geopolitical stand-off, India turning to self-driving tech to tackle its shocking accident statistics and TSMC’s worries about water supplies for its Taiwanese chip factories.

South Korea’s record-breaking 625 billion won ($409 million) fine against ecommerce giant Coupang for a major data breach generated ripples that have radiated far beyond its shores.

Seoul’s Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) found that Coupang (sometimes described as "Korea's Amazon") leaked personal information belonging to more than 33 million customers and failed to comply with rules around breach reporting.

Officials blamed the 2025 incident on a “lack of safety measures and systems, not sophisticated hacking”, putting its severity down to internal failures and inadequate controls. Coupang was also found to have illegally collected data from millions of users without their consent.

For South Korea, the case signals a tougher stance on data protection, with regulators more willing to hold large platforms accountable for systemic failures.

However, the fallout has extended far beyond domestic data protection and compliance. Coupang, which is headquartered in the US but generates most of its revenue in South Korea, argued that it is being unfairly targeted, framing the investigation and penalties as part of a broader pattern of discriminatory treatment against American firms.

That argument has found powerful backing in Washington. Senior figures aligned with Donald Trump as well as Republican lawmakers have rallied behind Coupang, publicly criticising South Korea's actions and making threatening noises over trade arrangements.

The company is reported to have hired well-connected lobbyists, hired former Trump administration officials to senior roles, and cultivated relationships across Capitol Hill. These moves have turned a domestic data breach into an international political issue.

China

• China’s government has announced a $295 billion investment in AI data centres, targeting rapid expansion to support domestic tech firms and global competitiveness. Source
• OpenAI accused a China-linked influence campaign of undermining public support for US datacentres. Source
• Spirit AI has outperformed Nvidia in RoboArena’s physical AI challenge, marking a significant achievement for Chinese AI research. Source
• A former IBM cybersecurity executive has accused the company of covering up years of Chinese hacking. Source
• Chinese exports have surpassed forecasts, with the global AI boom contributing to increased demand for technology products. Source
• A large botnet comprised of IoT devices and attributed to Chinese state-backed hackers and focussed on information gathering is growing in size and capability, researchers warn. Source
• The FBI has taken control of 13 websites that it alleges were used by Chinese spies to hire US government personnel in an effort to obtain classified information. Source

India

• India has eased restrictions on self-driving cars, in a bid to reduce the country’s horrifying road death numbers. The world's third largest car market, India reported more than 177,000 deaths in nearly half a ⁠million road accidents in 2024. Source
• Meta has signed its first AI data centre deal in India with Reliance, marking a significant step in the country’s AI infrastructure development. Source
• India continues to wait for a US trade deal, with negotiations stalled despite ongoing discussions. Source
• The social interaction app Vibely has been shut down and removed from platforms by MohallaTech, blaming declining user engagement. Source
• The state of Telangana is planning a unified card system powered by AI for comprehensive beneficiary profiling, aiming to collect individual and family data across welfare departments. Source
• Jaipur authorities ordered an internet shutdown during an anti-encroachment drive, citing concerns over public order and the spread of protest-related content online. Source

Japan

• Japan’s digital minister has called for increased investment in domestic AI development to prevent the country from becoming dependent on foreign technology. Source
• Kyushu Electric Power Co disclosed a physical security incident affecting private data of more than 10.9 million clients after losing a drive containing sensitive information. Source

South Korea

• South Korea has fined ecommerce giant Coupang (‘Korea’s Amazon’) 625 billion won ($409.30 million) over a data leak last year, the country's largest such penalty. Source
• Coupang’s clash with South Korean authorities over a data breach is being fuelled by its connections to Trump officials. Source
• South Korea’s AI chip sector is booming, but the surge in investment is putting pressure on the bond market as companies seek funding for expansion. Source
• Nvidia is deepening its partnerships in Korea, with new deals in memory, cloud, and robotics, strengthening the country’s position in the AI supply chain. Source
• Hyundai and Boston Dynamics, with support from Nvidia, are expanding their collaboration to deploy tens of thousands of robots, aiming to transform manufacturing and mobility with physical AI. Source
• South Korea’s labour minister has announced plans to share profits from AI technologies with workers, aiming to address concerns about automation and job displacement. Source
• Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has warned that China’s DeepSeek AI lab running models on Huawei chips could undermine US dominance in AI hardware, highlighting South Korea’s role in robotics and AI innovation. Source

Taiwan

• TSMC is hiking prices of its advanced AI chips, citing inflation and increased manufacturing costs. Source
• TSMC’s boss C.C. Wei is worried about a shortage of talent – and also water. Source

Elsewhere in Asia

• Malaysia: Alibaba Cloud is launching agentic AI services in Malaysia’s Johor region, focusing on advanced automation and digital transformation for local businesses. Source
• Philippines: A US-backed plan to build an AI data hub in the Philippines could attract $10 billion in new investment, officials say. Source
• Vietnam: Foxconn, the world’s largest electronics manufacturer, will invest in one gigawatt of solar and wind energy production in Vietnam, responding to energy supply disruptions caused by the Iran war, and also its shift to move more manufacturing away from China. Source