Six months on, is Australia’s ban working? – Asian Tech Roundup

Plus: WhatsApp usernames irk India

Welcome to Computing's weekly roundup of tech news in Asia. This time we look at Australia’s social media ban 6 months in, India’s complaint against WhatsApp’s username plans and Japan’s robotic future.

The eyes of the world are on Australia as the country continues to tweak and reinforce its world-first experiment in restricting social media access for under-16s.

Since December 2025, platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, X, Reddit and YouTube have been required to block under-16s from holding accounts, and millions of accounts have been deleted. Governments from the UK to Indonesia are closely monitoring the results as they consider introducing similar measures.

So far, the results have been, at best, mixed. Reports suggest that many children continue to use social media despite the restrictions. A University of Newcastle study found that more than 85% of Australians aged 12 to 15 were still logging in three months after the rules came into force, using a false date of birth, using a VPN or tricking age-assurance tools with photos.

In response, the Australian government is preparing to tighten enforcement, proposing a doubling of the maximum fine for platforms that fail to comply from A$49.5 million to A$99 million. The government also plans to strengthen the powers of the on regulator, the eSafety Commissioner.

In truth, evidence for the scheme’s success or otherwise at this early stage is thin. Researchers and regulators argue that its long-term effects - particularly on mental health, online safety and digital behaviour - may not become clear for years, and arguments over cliff edges and the danger of unregulated alternatives continue with little in the way of supportive facts so far.

Nevertheless, Australia's attempts to rein in social media are already shaping policy elsewhere. The UK government has announced plans for its own restrictions on social media and some AI chatbots, while Indonesia and Spain are among nations that have expressed interest in following Australia's lead.

Australia

• The Australian government is to double the maximum penalty imposed on social media companies that fail to comply with the ban on users under age 16 to A$99 million. Source
• There is little evidence that under-16s have reduced their social media usage since the ban, a study finds. Source
• An Australian rescue team successfully used an AI-powered drone to locate lost hikers. Source
• Australia has filed a lawsuit against Amazon's Prime Video unit, alleging breaches related to misleading advertising practices. Source
• Two EY employees have been charged with unlawfully accessing the bank details of the Australian prime minister. Source

China

• Anthropic has removed code that covertly tracked users’ connections to Chinese AI labs. Source
• Alibaba will pay $600 million to settle a US Department of Justice probe into illegal pharmaceutical sales on its platform. Source
• Chinese cybersecurity firm 360 launched Tulongfeng, an AI tool for vulnerability detection, and Yitianzhen for automated cyber defence, positioning these as national strategic assets amid US export bans on advanced AI models. Source
• DeepSeek claims a new technique that boosts large language model serving efficiency by up to 85%. Source
• The US FCC will ban imports of equipment from Chinese manufacturers Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, Hikvision, and Dahua starting in July. Source
• Xiechuang Data, a Shenzhen-based AI and data storage company, plans to raise up to $1.2 billion through a share sale to fund AI infrastructure. Source
• Baidu's AI chip unit, Kunlunxin, is planning to go public in Hong Kong ‌at a target valuation of $50 billion. Source
• ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) has secured a reported $3 billion memory chip supply deal with Tencent. Source

India

• The Indian government has raised concerns with WhatsApp over its planned shift from phone numbers to usernames, highlighting legal and security risks such as impersonation, KYC gaps and challenges for law enforcement. Source
• The Delhi High Court refused a blanket takedown of AI-generated content targeting MP Raghav Chadha, ordering only five posts removed and telling X to unmask the uploaders. Source
• Telangana police are deploying AI-powered drones with facial recognition for street patrols in Hyderabad, targeting crime hotspots and traffic violations. Source
• Indian tech tycoon Bahvin Turakhia is investing $30 million to develop an AI-powered alternative to Microsoft Office. Source
• The data leak at Tata exposed Apple iPhone 18 Pro supplier lists and parts photos. Source

Japan

• Japan has announced plans to deploy 10 million additional robots by 2040, with some intended for medical care, building on lessons learned from post-Fukushima clean-up and AI advances. Source
• Microsoft has uncovered a widespread hotel phishing campaign targeting Japan’s hospitality sector. Source
• Nissan employee data was exposed in a cyberattack exploiting an Oracle software flaw. Source
• KDDI, a Japanese ISP, has suffered a breach affecting email accounts across the Asia-Pacific region, raising concerns about data security for its customers. Source
• Malware-laced USB drives were used to breach Japanese military networks, raising concerns about cybersecurity vulnerabilities in defence infrastructure. Source
• Tokyo-based Sakana AI launched Fugu, a generative AI model optimised for Japanese language and culture as a hedge against tightening US export controls on advanced AI. Source
• Ransomware gang Blackfield has demanded a $2 million payment from Japanese electronic component maker Nidec, whose Taiwanese subsidiary Nidec Chaun Choung Technology was compromised in a ransomware attack last month. Source

Malaysia

• Malaysia is considering new regulations for the management of IP addresses, aiming to revive the National Internet Registry, which was previously deprecated by APNIC. Source
• Malaysian customs intercepted 72 servers packed with AI chips worth $13 million at KLIA. Source

South Korea

• SK Hynix has confirmed a $13 billion investment in a new advanced packaging facility in Cheongju, set for completion by the end of 2027, to strengthen its leadership in AI memory and high-bandwidth memory production. Source
• South Korea is investing $880 billion in artificial intelligence, aiming to become a global leader in the next wave of AI innovation. Source
• Samsung and SK Hynix, along with US-based Micron, are facing a lawsuit over alleged DRAM price fixing amid record memory costs. Source
• Google Korea is launching Project Hug to support Android app developers, aiming to boost local innovation and competitiveness in the app store ecosystem. Source

Taiwan

• Taiwanese authorities have raided Super Micro as part of a widening probe into alleged chip smuggling to China. Source
• Taiwanese robot manufacturers are advancing into humanoid systems, marking a significant shift towards more sophisticated robotics in the region. Source

Elsewhere in Asia

• Asia: Major RAM makers across Asia have been accused of price collusion, with investigations underway into alleged anti-competitive practices affecting chip and memory markets. Source
• Indonesia: Nadiem Makarim, co-founder of ride-hailing and payments platform Gojek, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in connection with a major corruption case. Source
• North Korea: MacOS.Gaslight malware, linked to North Korea, uses prompt injection techniques to evade AI-based malware analysis, steal data, and communicate via Telegram. Source