DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Reuters reporters' online accounts faked to approach China activists
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( James Pomfret | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] The Chinese flag is seen across the Victoria Harbour during sunset, in Hong Kong, China October 12, 2022. The impersonator or impersonators were seeking information about a group linked to protests the same month against China's strict COVID-19 controls, according to screenshots and several accounts provided to Reuters. An Australia-based Chinese activist and dissident artist known as Badiucao first disclosed the impersonations on Saturday on Twitter. "Hello everyone," an imposter wrote in a Telegram chatroom, according to screenshots seen by Reuters that were provided by Badiucao. Telegram did not respond to Reuters requests for comment on the impersonations of the journalists' accounts on that platform.

☆ China issues standard contract to govern transfer of personal data abroad
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

SHANGHAI, Feb 24 (Reuters) - China's cyberspace regulator issued on Friday what it called a standard contract for organisations to sign when they intend to transfer personal information of their users and customers abroad. From June 1, organisations that handle the personal information of less than one million people will be required to file the contract with their local internet regulators within 10 days when the contract takes effect. The move is meant to bolster China's enforcement of its personal data privacy law implemented in late 2021. Reporting by Brenda Goh; Editing by Jacqueline WongOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

SYDNEY/HONG KONG, Feb 20 (Reuters) - New rules laying out how Chinese companies can list outside mainland China will often mean getting a nod from several domestic government agencies, potentially making for a lengthy approval process, investment bankers say. On one hand, the rules provide clarity after a regulatory crackdown by Beijing since mid-2021 that has slowed U.S. listings by Chinese firms to a trickle. Those hoops, combined with U.S.-Sino tensions over a multitude of issues from suspected spy balloons to trade friction, means a rush of Chinese firms seeking initial public offerings in New York is unlikely. Last year, U.S. listings of Chinese firms were worth less than $230 million, according to Refinitiv data, a massive drop from $12.9 billion in 2021. "I don't think an overseas listing for the start-up would get the Chinese regulatory nod due to data security.

☆ I helped create a 'cyber army' to help Ukraine defeat Russia. We can't fight with guns, but we can fight with our laptops.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Yegor Aushev appealed for volunteers for a "cyber army" to help Ukraine defeat Russia. Within the first few days of the war, we separated the cyber army into groups of between 7 to 10 people. Our call for decentralized cyber army volunteers is probably what inspired others to create their own groups, such as Ukraine's IT army, formed a few days later by the minister of digitization, Mykhailo Fedorov. Another project involved using tech to recognize who was in photos left by Russian soldiers in Bucha near Kyiv. If it was a couple hundred Russian SIMs, of course it's Russian soldiers and not tourists.

The company sold 10 million American depository receipts (ADRs) at $19 apiece, according to its regulatory filings, and shares closed at $21.05. The deal is the biggest from a Chinese company selling shares in New York since LianBio (LIAN.O) raised $334 million in October 2021, according to Refinitiv data. Chinese company listings in the United States ground to a halt in 2021 after the debut of ride hailing giant Didi Global Inc (92Sy.MU) in June of that year. As a result, Chinese listings in the United States dwindled and mainland regulators also moved to draw up new guidelines governing companies selling shares overseas. Chinese companies raised nearly $230 million in U.S. listings in 2022, according to Refinitiv data, representing a massive drop from $12.85 billion a year earlier.

☆ ChatGPT frenzy sweeps China as firms scramble for home-grown options
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] A response in Chinese by ChatGPT, an AI chatbot developed by OpenAI, is seen on its website in this illustration picture taken February 9, 2023. OpenAI or ChatGPT itself is not blocked by Chinese authorities but OpenAI does not allow users in mainland China, Hong Kong, Iran, Russia and parts of Africa to sign up. Dozens of bots rigged to ChatGPT technology have emerged on WeChat, with hobbyists using it to make programmes or automated accounts that can interact with users. ChatGPT supports Chinese language interaction and is highly capable of conversing in Chinese, which has helped drive its unofficial adoption in the country. CENSORSHIPReuters' tests of ChatGPT indicate that the chatbot is not averse to questions that would be sensitive in mainland China.

☆ NATO chief urges closer ties with Japan to defend democracy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

General Jens Stoltenberg (left) shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (right) on Jan. 31, 2023 in Tokyo, Japan. Stoltenberg visits Japan to strengthen bilateral ties between the country and the E.U. Calling it a "critical moment for NATO and for Japan," Stoltenberg, who is visiting Tokyo, said China and Russia are "leading an authoritarian pushback against international rules-based order." "China is not our adversary, but we must understand the scale of the challenge and work together to address it." Kishida said he and Stoltenberg agreed to advance ties in areas such as cyberspace, space, disinformation, and critical and emerging technology.

☆ Alibaba, Tencent 'golden shares': China is pulling different strings to control Big Tech
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

According to a person familiar with the matter, the Chinese government is also discussing taking a similar stake in a mainland Chinese subsidiary of Tencent (TCEHY), the group that includes WeChat and a vast gaming business. The headquarters of the Cyberspace Administration of China in Beijing, China on July 16, 2021. “Golden shares” give their owners, usually governments, some level of control over companies, often those that were previously state-owned. In April 2021, a government entity acquired a 1% stake in a Beijing subsidiary of TikTok’s parent company Bytedance, according to Qichacha. The Communist Party may be easing off on fines and penalties, but the “golden shares” approach seeks the same end, which is “control and tight oversight,” said Capri.

☆ U.S. and Israel launch a massive joint military exercise to send a message to Iran and others
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Courtney-Kube-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Courtney Kube | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

The United States and Israel began a massive joint military exercise in Israel on Monday to show adversaries like Iran that Washington is not too distracted by the war in Ukraine and the threat from China to mobilize a large military force, a senior defense official said. Approximately 6,400 U.S. personnel have joined 1,100 Israeli personnel for the exercise, which will employ 142 total aircraft. “The scale of the exercise is relevant to a whole range of scenarios, and Iran may draw certain inferences from that,” the official said. “My guess is the next time they do a military exercise, they’ll say, even if it was planned for months, they’ll say it was reaction to this. The senior defense official said this drill is a signal to other nations that argument is not true.

☆ Japan's leader prioritizes arms buildup, reversing low birthrate
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Kishida’s government in December adopted key security and defense reforms, including a counterstrike capability that breaks from the country’s exclusively self-defense-only postwar principle. Japan says the current deployment of missile interceptors is insufficient to defend it from rapid weapons advancement in China and North Korea. Kishida said it’s a “drastic turnaround” of Japan’s security policy, but still remains within the limitations of its pacifist constitution and international law. This month, Kishida took a five-nation tour, including Washington, to explain Japan’s new defense plan and further develop defense ties with its ally the United States. Japan is the world’s third-biggest economy but living costs are high and wage increases have been slow.

☆ Digital twins are set for rapid adoption in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Bob Violino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

This avatar is a personalised, hyper-realistic, 3D, #seriezero digital twin that they can use to interact on digital platforms and in the metaverse. In life sciences, digital twins are being used to create twins of human organs, enabling new approaches to medical research and care, Diana said. "We are going to see digital twins adopted rapidly in 2023, in many different industries," Diana said. Digital twins are gaining momentum in adoption and sophistication as more organizations see positive outcomes from the early adopters, Barrington said. "As more twins of critical assets and processes come online, leaders will leverage digital twins to not only model and simulate their supply chain, but to optimize and automate a dynamic and intelligent supply chain model — all orchestrated by digital twins," Barrington said.

☆ China tightens media control with tiny stakes in two Alibaba units
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesBEIJING — State-backed entities have taken tiny stakes in parts of two Alibaba subsidiaries that oversee a video platform and web browser. The state-backed stakes reflect a progression of government directives over the last decade to increase control of media in China. "So far most of the stakes announced (including in other Chinese companies) seem to be highly concentrated on media companies and media subsidiaries." watch nowSince 2020, business records show state-backed entities have taken 1% stakes in popular social media or short-video apps Weibo , ByteDance's Douyin and Kuaishou . A provincial state media group completed a 1% investment in September, leaving Alibaba's media arm with 99% ownership.

☆ China to launch state-backed transport platform for ride-hailing, trucking
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HONG KONG, Jan 18 (Reuters) - China will soon launch a state-backed platform for transport which includes services of ride-hailing, cargo trucking, road transport, railway, ferry and flight services, Chinese state media Beijing Daily reported on Wednesday. China's ride-hailing market was dominated by Didi Global which ran afoul of powerful regulator the Cyberspace Administration of China in 2021. The 18-month ban on the ride-hailer was lifted on Monday after the company took effective measures to ensure platform safety and data security. The state-backed platform, called "Qiang Guo Jiao Tong" - or "Powerful Nation's Transportation" - will offer people convenient services while maintaining data security and protecting personal privacy, Beijing Daily reported. Other social media apps such as Wechat, Alipay and Douyin will be integrated into the platform, the report added.

☆ Didi's China ride-hailing app back on some app stores
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Didi Global's Chinese ride-hailing app returned to some Android app stores on Tuesday, according to Reuters checks and a source with direct knowledge of the matter, signalling its emergence from around 1-1/2 years of regulatory troubles. Didi has been awaiting approval to resume new user registrations and downloads of its 25 banned apps in China as a key step to return to normal business since its regulatory problems started in mid-2021. Its 25 mobile apps were then ordered to be taken down from app stores, the registration of new users was suspended, and it was fined $1.2 billion over data-security breaches. Didi said in a statement on Monday it had been given the green light from domestic regulators to resume new user registrations for its core ride-hailing app from Monday. Reporting by Yingzhi Yang and Julie Zhu Editing by David Goodman and Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China allows Didi to resume signing up new users as tech crackdown eases
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —Ride-hailing giant Didi received approval to resume new user registration in China, it said Monday, providing more evidence that Beijing’s regulatory crackdown on tech giants might be coming to an end. The move is the latest sign that regulators are loosening the reins on the country’s beleaguered tech companies in a bid to spur economic growth. With the approval of the Cybersecurity Review Office, Didi will be able to resume adding new users “immediately,” it added. Didi is a poster child for Beijing’s years-long crackdown on its tech companies. Regulators then targeted a number of other tech giants, including Tencent, Meituan and Didi.

☆ China lifts ban on ride-hailing giant Didi's new user registration -company statement
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 16 (Reuters) - China's ride hailing giant Didi Global said in a statement on Monday it would be allowed to resume new user registration, after a more than year-long ban that curbed its growth. The company would take effective measures to ensure platform safety and data security, and safeguard national cyberspace security, it said in the statement. Didi has been awaiting approval to resume new user registrations and downloads of its 25 banned apps in China as a key step to a return to normal business since its regulatory troubles started in mid-2021. Didi will need its ride-hailing and other apps to be back on domestic app stores to win new users, though the statement did not specifically mention it. Reporting by Yingzhi Yang and Julie Zhu; Editing by Kim Coghill and Tom HogueOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China Buys Stake in Alibaba Unit, Signaling New Normal of State Oversight
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Raffaele Huang | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

China’s cyberspace regulator also appointed an official to the board of an Alibaba subsidiary, say people familiar with the matter say. SINGAPORE—Chinese authorities recently acquired a stake in a subsidiary of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., indicating regulators intend to keep the sector on a tight leash even as they move past an extended crackdown on the country’s internet-technology giants. A Beijing-based entity controlled by the Cyberspace Administration of China, the country’s internet watchdog, took a 1% stake in a Guangzhou, south China-based Alibaba business on Jan. 4, according to China’s corporate registry. The cyberspace regulator also appointed an official to the board of the Alibaba entity, whose media portfolio includes mobile browser UC Web, people familiar with the matter say.

☆ China acquires 'golden shares' in two Alibaba units
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] The logo of Alibaba Group is seen at its office in Beijing, China Jan. 5, 2021. REUTERS/Thomas PeterBEIJING, China, Jan 13 (Reuters) - China has acquired minority stakes with special rights in two domestic units of tech giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (9988.HK), business registration records showed, as Beijing extends a campaign to strengthen control over online content. Beijing has been taking 'golden shares' in private online media and content companies for more than five years, and in recent years expanding such arrangements to companies with vast troves of data. These golden shares, typically equal to about 1% of a firm, are bought by government-backed funds or companies which gain board representation and/or veto rights for key business decisions. Having such golden shares can be helpful to firms when they try to secure licences to disseminate online news and to show online visual and audio programmes, sources have told Reuters.

☆ China's government is buying Alibaba and Tencent shares that give the Communist Party special rights over certain business decisions, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Chinese government is buying shares in Alibaba, Tencent and other tech companies, according to the Financial Times. The stakes usually involve a 1% holding and are known as "special management shares." This gives China's Communist Party special rights over certain business decisions, the report said. The stakes usually involve a 1% holding in a key segment and are known as "special management shares," which give Beijing rights over certain decisions at the companies. Meanwhile, details of the Chinese government's plan to buy shares in internet giant Tencent are still under discussion, the report said.

☆ China to allow Didi apps back online, in latest sign of regulatory thaw, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A logo for Chinese ride-hailing platform Didi is illuminated outside company headquarters on Jan. 21, 2022 in Hangzhou, China. Shen Longquan | Visual China Group | Getty ImagesChinese authorities are set to allow Didi Global's ride-hailing and other apps back on domestic app stores as soon as next week, five sources told Reuters, in yet another signal that their two-year regulatory crackdown on the technology sector is ending. Didi has been awaiting authorities' approval to resume new user registrations and downloads of its 25 banned apps in China as a key step to resume normal business since its regulatory troubles started in mid-2021. The one-week-long holiday period in China would help Didi start to attract new clients for the business and work towards bringing it back to normal, added two of the sources. China's central bank will step up support for private firms as part of steps to shore up the economy, while easing a crackdown on tech companies, Guo Shuqing, Communist party chief of the People's Bank of China, told state-owned CCTV on Sunday.

[1/2] The app logo of Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi is seen reflected on its navigation map displayed on a mobile phone in this illustration picture taken July 1, 2021. Didi has been awaiting authorities' approval to resume new user registrations and downloads of its 25 banned apps in China as a key step to resume normal business since its regulatory troubles started in mid-2021. A lifting of the ban on Didi apps would come as Chinese policymakers seek to restore private sector confidence and count on the technology industry to help spur economic activity that has been ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic. The delay in the return of the apps had cast a shadow over Didi's business plans. That deal is primarily subject to the apps' resumption for official announcement, said the two sources.

☆ China, a Pioneer in Regulating Algorithms, Turns Its Focus to Deepfakes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Karen Hao | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Cyberspace Administration of China will begin enforcing new regulations on deepfakes starting this week. HONG KONG—China is implementing new rules to restrict the production of ‘deepfakes,’ media generated or edited by artificial-intelligence software that can make people appear to say and do things they never did. Beijing’s internet regulator, the Cyberspace Administration of China, will begin enforcing the regulation—on what it calls “deep synthesis” technology, including AI-powered image, audio and text-generation software—starting Tuesday, marking the world’s first comprehensive attempt by a major regulatory agency to curb one of the most explosive and controversial areas of AI advancement.

☆ Ukraine official says Russian cyberattacks on its energy network could equate to war crimes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russian cyberattacks on Ukraine's critical infrastructure could equate to war crimes, Ukraine said. Ukraine is gathering evidence of Russian cyberattacks linked to military strikes, per Politico. "Their thermal power plant was shelled, and simultaneously, their corporate network was attacked," Zhora told Politico of the incident. Russia has been accused of multiple war crimes since it launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Ukraine's prosecutor general, Andriy Kostin, said in September that his office had documented some 34,000 potential war crimes committed by Russian forces.

☆ Republican Ben Sasse says he's 'sad' for 'needy and desperate' Trump in parting shot before leaving the Senate
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

GOP Sen. Ben Sasse offered a parting blow to Trump as the Nebraskan leaves Congress. Sasse, who is moving on to academia, said it's "sad" the former president is so "needy and desperate." The Nebraska Republican also praised Trump for appointing conservative judges. Sasse formally resigned from the Senate on Sunday to become the next president of the University of Florida. Ricketts ran unsuccessfully for the Senate in 2006, losing handily to then-Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson.

☆ Companies can ‘hire’ a virtual person for about $14k a year in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Virtual singer Luo Tianyi performing with world renowned pianist Lang Lang in 2019 at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, China. Launched in 2012, Luo Tianyi has nearly 3 million fans and even performed at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Beijing this year. BEIJING — From customer service to the entertainment industry, businesses in China are paying big bucks for virtual employees. It costs about 100,000 yuan ($14,300) a year for a three-dimensional virtual person, and 20,000 yuan for a two-dimensional one. Li expects the virtual person industry overall will keep growing by 50% annually through 2025.

Search resuls for: "Cyberspace"

25 mentions found