Meta hits out at Australia’s ‘news tax’ – Asian Tech Roundup

Plus: China’s tech tourism

Welcome to Computing's weekly roundup of tech news in Asia. This time we look at the big tech backlash to Australia’s revived attempts to get them to support local news organisations, visitors paying up to $9,000 for a look around Chinese robotics and EV companies and mixed news on proposed social media bans in Malaysia and Japan.

Meta fired a warning shot at Australia this week over the country’s plan to charge large social media platforms to support local news organisations.

Under the plan, which would affect Meta, Google and TikTok, platforms would pay a levy of 2.25% revenue of their Australian revenues unless they strike deals with local publishers. It applies to major platforms with significant Australian revenues and user bases.

It is Australia’s second attempt at getting platforms to pay for news, closing a loophole in the earlier News Media Bargaining Code which allowed them to simply remove such content – which is exactly what Meta did, both in Australia and also in Canada where a similar law was enacted.

The government frames it as a rebalancing of power. The platforms benefit from news in terms of traffic and ad revenues, it argues, while at the same time media organisations are under pressure as tech platforms hoover up more of their income. Therefore, the platforms should do their bit in helping to support a healthy, sustainable journalistic ecosystem.

Unsurprisingly, Meta disagrees. It describes the proposals as targeted and discriminatory, applying to only a few companies mostly from the US. It calls them “grossly unfair” and describes the levy as a tax disconnected from any news value. Meta is backed in its criticism by US tech lobbyists who say the policy is “economically incoherent”, even warning it could violate the US-Australia free trade agreement.

Legal experts argue the proposal is based on revenue and service type, not nationality, and a discrimination lawsuit would be unlikely to succeed.

Nevertheless, with other countries mulling similar moves the stakes are high. Meta and its allied tech lobbyists are likely to escalate their attacks rather than conceding any ground.

Australia

• Meta has criticised Australia's proposals to make social media companies pay for news, calling them “grossly unfair”. Source
• AI data centres now account for 17% of Australia’s private investment, a surge in infrastructure spending despite weaker household consumption. Source
• Australia’s workplace tribunal reports a 70% increase in workload over three years, attributing the rise to AI-assisted claims processing. Source
• CBA’s CEO has warned that the cost of AI tokens is becoming a significant operational concern for the bank, as demand for generative AI tools surges and pricing models remain unpredictable. Source

China

• Foreign visitors are increasingly travelling to China’s factories and AI startups, seeking the next technological breakthrough and creating a new kind of tourism. Source
• China-linked cybercrime group TA4922 is targeting UK and European organisations with new malware campaigns themed around tax, payroll and benefits, according to Proofpoint. Source
• AI startup DeepSeek is nearing a $7 billion fundraising haul in its first capital raise, marking one of the largest tech investments in Asia this year. Source
• China has introduced new trade secret rules, declaring its AI data off-limits to foreign scrutiny and tightening control over proprietary information. Source
• China is moving beyond super apps, embracing AI agents that can handle a wide range of tasks for users, signalling a shift in digital innovation. Source
• US curbs on Nvidia and AMD chip sales to China are now extended to their subsidiaries, further restricting access to advanced semiconductors. Source
• Nvidia’s AI chips are reportedly being used by the Chinese military, raising concerns about the effectiveness of US export controls. Source
• Temu, the China-based ecommerce platform, has been fined $200 million by the EU for illegal practices. Source
• BYD has developed China’s first 4nm driving chip and is integrating lidar into a $10,000 car, marking a significant leap in affordable automotive technology. Source
• Huawei’s chairman credits US export controls for accelerating China’s semiconductor industry, as restrictions prompted domestic firms to invest heavily in R&D and build independent tech stacks. Source
• China’s government signals a shift from aggressive platform regulation to encouraging AI investment, aiming for a more stable regulatory environment while tightening oversight of algorithms and data. Source
• China has toughened rules on outbound investment, increasing scrutiny of overseas deals by domestic tech firms. Source
• China-aligned hacking groups have ramped up cyberattacks, targeting government and financial sectors in Taiwan and the Czech Republic with sophisticated spearphishing campaigns. Source

India

• India’s Supreme Court has released draft regulations to govern AI use in courts while prohibiting AI from making judicial decisions. Source
• India’s government is to retain its rule requiring continuous labelling of AI-generated content on social media platforms, despite industry pushback. It is currently deciding on which platforms mandatory rules will apply, according to officials. Source
• G42, based in UAE, will deploy a US-designed supercomputer in India, as an example of the country’s “pragmatic approach to AI sovereignty”. Source
• Journalist network Environmental Reporting Collective says Meta blocked its investigatory video into the forced displacement of Dalits in the city of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh to accommodate a Google datacentre. Source
• Indian founders are citing a recent court ruling in renewed criticism of Google’s ad business, arguing it stifles competition and innovation in the digital advertising market. Source
• UK online bank Revolut has begun offering its fintech services to thousands of users in India, with a broader launch planned and a waiting list of 450,000. Source

Japan

• SoftBank has overtaken Toyota to become Japan’s most valuable company, thanks to its investment in AI. Source
• Japan’s communications ministry has proposed varying age limits for different social media platforms, but the idea of limiting use for young people does not enjoy popular support in the country. Source

South Korea

• SK Hynix has told investors its US listing plan has won strong backing, marking a significant step for the South Korean chipmaker’s global ambitions. Source
• LG Electronics’ stock surged 24% in a single day after unveiling Google-based automotive technology designed to reduce manufacturing costs. Source
• Unastella, a South Korean rocket startup, has raised $24 million after successfully launching from home, signalling growing investor confidence in domestic space technology. Source

Taiwan

• TSMC’s boss remains upbeat about the AI boom, stating demand shows no sign of easing and the outlook for the chip sector is strong. Source
• Nvidia and TSMC are collaborating to integrate AI more deeply into semiconductor manufacturing, with TSMC producing advanced chips for AI applications and expanding its technological partnership with Nvidia. Source
• Foxconn has announced a strategic collaboration with Intel to develop next-generation AI infrastructure. Source

Elsewhere in Asia

• Afghanistan: Pakistan-linked SideCopy group has targeted Afghanistan’s Ministry of Finance and provincial government officials with spear-phishing attacks using Xeno RAT. Source
• Malaysia: Malaysia is considering a ban on social media platforms for users under 16, citing concerns over mental health and online safety. Source