News

Telcos urged to use average internet speed in ads

RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Sep 03 03:00 PM

On an average, carriers deliver an 'acceptable' 75 percent of the subscribed speed.  Read more »

Egypt president approves law clamping down on social media

Agence France-Presse
Posted at Sep 02 09:36 AM

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has ratified a law granting authorities the right to monitor social media users in the country as part of tightening internet controls, the official gazette said Saturday.  Read more »

Smart to kill MMS support as 5G looms

ABS-CBN News
Updated as of Aug 30 07:46 PM

After nearly 20 years, Smart, Talk 'N Text, and Sun Cellular will phase out its multimedia messaging service (MMS) starting September 28, as they prepare to offer 5G services. Read more »

Trump idea on regulating Google 'unfathomable,' analysts say

Rob Lever, Agence France-Presse
Posted at Aug 30 10:56 AM

Legal and media experts say Google and other internet firms enjoy the same constitutional protections on free speech as news outlets, precluding any government interference with the search results that displease the president. Read more »

Trump unblocks more critics on Twitter as ordered by court

Agence France-Presse
Posted at Aug 30 07:34 AM

More critics of US Donald Trump found themselves unblocked from his Twitter account on Wednesday, in keeping with a court ruling that he can't shut out opposing viewpoints.  Read more »

Japanese leader calls for better cyber, space defense capabilities

Kyodo News
Posted at Aug 29 09:20 PM

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday called for strengthening Japan's defense capabilities in new fields such as cyberspace and outer space, citing the rapidly changing security situation surrounding the country. Read more »

Instagram adds verified accounts to 'stop bad actors'

Agence France-Presse
Posted at Aug 29 08:01 AM

Instagram on Tuesday set out to thwart duplicity with an option to authenticate high-profile accounts at the Facebook-owned image or video sharing social network. Read more »

Russians on trial for sharing memes, networks ask for law change

Theo Merz, Agence France-Presse
Posted at Aug 27 12:14 PM

In 2015, Eduard Nikitin shared a joke on social media about Russia's bleak future. Three years later he is facing trial on extremism charges over this and one other meme. Read more »

Website taunts Chinese drama fans with South China Sea quiz

Reuters
Posted at Aug 24 09:20 PM

HANOI - A Vietnamese website, which only works when users correctly answer a quiz about disputed islands in the South China Sea, has infuriated scores of television fans in China desperate to catch the latest episode of a popular Chinese period drama. Read more »

DICT eyes selection of third telco by December

Jacque Manabat, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Aug 23 07:58 PM

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is looking to finish the selection process for the country's third major telecommunications company by December this year at the latest. Read more »

Vietnam telecom firm Viettel eyes Philippine market

Khanh Vu, Reuters
Posted at Aug 23 05:58 PM

Vietnamese telecommunication company Viettel has set its sights on the Philippines as the next destination in its overseas expansion drive, the company said on Thursday, as the archipelago's economy clears the way for the entry of a third operator. Read more »

Internet must be 'clean and righteous', Chinese leader tells propaganda officials

Reuters
Posted at Aug 22 10:37 PM

BEIJING - The internet must be "clean and righteous" and vulgar content must be resisted in the field of culture, Chinese President Xi Jinping told a meeting of senior propaganda officials, state media said on Wednesday. Read more »

Google sued for unwanted tracking of phone locations

Agence-France Presse
Posted at Aug 21 11:39 AM

A lawsuit filed in federal court here accuses Google of invading people's privacy by tracking the whereabouts of smartphones users despite "location history" settings being turned off. Read more »

Under-fire Apple removes 25,000 apps in China

Agence France-Presse
Posted at Aug 20 08:04 PM

Apple said Monday it had removed many gambling-related apps from its Chinese app store as the US giant comes under scrutiny amid trade tensions between Beijing and Washington. Read more »

China police detain man for asking why can't Taiwan be called a country

Reuters
Posted at Aug 17 06:57 PM

Taiwan is China's most sensitive diplomatic issue. Read more »

Japan to beef up anti-cyberattack operations with China in mind

Kyodo News
Posted at Aug 16 11:32 PM

Japan's Defense Ministry plans to strengthen steps against cyberattacks by setting up its first regional cyberspace defense unit, as China bolsters its own cyber capabilities, a governmental official said Thursday. Read more »

PCOO to officials, employees: Behave in social media

Dharel Placido, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Aug 16 11:37 AM

MANILA - The Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) has issued a memorandum reminding its officials and employees to be mindful of their posts on social media. Read more »

Netflix CFO leaving TV streaming titan

Agence France-Presse
Posted at Aug 14 09:16 AM

Netflix chief financial officer David Wells on Monday announced plans to hand his job off to a successor and then focus on philanthropy. Read more »

Singapore seeks ASEAN cybersecurity standards as digital shift grows

Tarra Quismundo, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Aug 10 12:55 PM

Officials underscored the urgent need for stronger safeguards against cyber attacks as the city-state, among Asia’s most technologically advanced cities, reeled from an unprecedented hack of its state healthcare database, the worst it has seen. Read more »

Online daters aim 'out of their league,' study says

Agence France-Presse
Posted at Aug 09 04:23 AM

Most people who use online dating websites seek partners who are out of their league, said a study Wednesday based on heterosexuals in four big U.S. cities. Read more »