For the Hong Kong Fire, we built an open, centralised database to preserve all verifiable information, news reports, footage, technical analyses, contractor details, volunteer/community support records, official responses, and follow-up developments.

🚀New Course Open for Enrollment! “Data Governance Basics” is now on @ITU Academy! A free, self-paced course funded by the EU🇪🇺, open to all —especially policymakers & public sector professionals. No limits, accessible worldwide! Enroll now 👉 bit.ly/4kgb2hN

My year-long investigation into the multibillion dollar world of online scams is out today — on the cover of The Economist and in my new 8-part podcast series, Scam Inc Read the article: bit.ly/scam-inc Listen to the podcast: econ.st/3CFzGaL

Scoop: we identified 3 outsourcing companies that are urgently hiring English-speaking content moderators to work for Xiaohongshu/REDNote, a sign that the platform is scrambling to grow its censorship capacity as thousands of TikTok refugees come in. wired.com/story/xiaohongshu-…

On TikTok the justices ruled that the law to ban or sell TikTok by this Sunday does not violate the First Amendment.  "There is no doubt that, for more than 170 million Americans, TikTok offers a distinctive and expansive outlet for expression, means of engagement, and source of community. But Congress has determined that divestiture is necessary to address its well-supported national security concerns regarding TikTok’s data collection practices and relationship with a foreign adversary. For the foregoing reasons, we conclude that the challenged provisions do not violate petitioners’ First Amendment rights."

RedNote will soon stop being a #Tiktokers shelter. SCOOP: China's Internet Watchdog directs RedNote to beef up English-language content moderation and work on hiding #tiktokrefugees posts from Chinese users, by @QianerLiu @JuroOsawa via @theinformation theinformation.com/articles/…

This year I spent months in Colombia, Mexico, and California, following Chinese migrants hoping to seek asylum in the US. It's a route that's become known as 走线. We made a 4-part podcast series about their journey. The first episode is free this week: open.spotify.com/episode/0vT…

🚨 BREAKING: 🇬🇷Greece publishes its Blueprint for AI Transformation, and it's a MUST-READ for everyone in AI governance [or who enjoy ⚡EXTREME⚡ graphic design!] Make sure to bookmark it. These will be Greece's priority areas: 1️⃣ "Preparing citizens for the AI transition: introducing AI and its associated disciplines, including topics on the ethical use of AI, to the educational curriculum, starting at the primary level; introducing reskilling and upskilling programs for the general population; improving AI literacy and spreading its empowerment opportunities across the Greek population; strengthening Greece’s AI innovation potential; 2️⃣ Improving public service efficiency for Greek citizens and people living in Greece: organizing smart infrastructures and citizen-friendly government services at the national and local levels; 3️⃣ Safeguarding and enhancing democracy: defending democratic values, facilitating informed public participation in democratic processes, and protecting the public sphere from disinformation and misinformation; 4️⃣ Promoting the quality of health care for all: bolstering the national health system with the capacities to provide better quality, data-driven, and targeted health care, including the prediction and management of chronic and rare diseases, while at the same time protecting the rights of patients 5️⃣ Democratizing access to, and improving the quality of, education: enhancing the ability of children and young people to learn and develop new skills, improving opportunities available to children with learning disabilities and those from underprivileged backgrounds, and tailoring educational materials to individual interests and abilities of all students; 6️⃣ Turning Greece into an attractive global destination for AI and high-tech investment: developing the ecosystems that will create high-quality jobs and improve the overall productivity of the Greek economy and prosperity of the Greek people; 7️⃣ Preserving and enriching cultural heritage: developing the Greek language and heritage data space; augmenting, personalizing, and enriching the experience of Greek culture; enhancing preservation efforts and protecting the integrity of Greek culture in AI models and artifacts; 8️⃣ Climate mitigation and adaptation: equipping Greece with the capabilities to prepare for, prevent, mitigate, adapt to, and effectively manage the climate crisis and extreme natural disasters; harmonizing technological progress with environmental stewardship to diminish the ecological footprint of AI development and deployment; 9️⃣ Supporting national security: upgrading defense capabilities, including cyber-defense capabilities, and improved safeguarding of national borders." 👉 Download the document below. 👉 Never miss my AI updates: join 40,300 people who subscribe to my newsletter (link below). 👉 If you have friends in AI (or in ⚡graphic design⚡), consider sharing.

Today is the day. HK’s High Court is set to pass sentence on the 45 democracy campaigners convicted of “conspiracy to subversion” over the 2020 primary election. Some relatives are too nervous to sleep, and some said they want “no surprise no shock”. rfi.fr/en/international-news…

#BREAKING HK legal scholar Benny Tai is sentenced to 10 years in jail as “the brain” of the 2020 primary election project that has been found to be a conspiracy to subvert the state power, the longest sentence delivered so far under the #NSL.

A New Way to Observe China A recent article by CIA analysts highlights how Beijing has ramped up restrictions on foreign researchers, journalists, and access to open-source data. These measures have significantly limited insights into China’s political and economic landscape, making it increasingly challenging to obtain reliable information from within the country. cia.gov/resources/csi/static… However, I’ve noticed a new trend that has emerged over the past year: the rise of mainland Chinese YouTubers. These creators have become an unexpected source of real-time observations and commentary on China’s social and economic conditions. Interestingly, the shift seems to be driven by reduced payouts from domestic platforms like Douyin, parent company of TikTok, and others, prompting many content creators to move to YouTube in search of better revenue streams. This migration has led to a surge in Chinese-language content on YouTube, offering raw, up-to-the-minute perspectives that are harder to come by through official channels. These YouTubers often discuss social trends and economic situations, and even political developments with a level of candor that’s rare on state-controlled platforms. For me, tapping into this grassroots content has been an unexpectedly valuable resource for keeping a finger on the pulse of what’s really happening on the ground in China. In an era where traditional sources are becoming less accessible, these independent voices are providing a new lens through which to observe the country’s unfolding dynamics. Here are some of these YouTuber that I follow youtube.com/channel/UCwDZlUQ… youtube.com/channel/UCLxhFbi… youtube.com/@tangshanlaowang… youtube.com/@chinese_real_es… youtube.com/@xiaoshu?si=wP7o…

Hundreds of workers at the Philippine unit of Nexperia threatened to go on strike over layoff fears, a sign of growing discontent over automation in the semiconductor industry restofworld.org/2024/chipmak…

An outstanding piece by ⁦@jiangxuestory⁩ on the rebirth of Lifeng (Monsoon) Bookstore, which was closed six years ago in Shanghai but which like large swaths of Chinese civil society is being recreated abroad. wainao.me/wainao-reads/jf-bo…

We need more voices from female staff

Xiaohongshu has revolutionized the way Chinese tourists travel overseas restofworld.org/2024/xiaohon…

📣 Opportunity for journalists globally! @restofworld is looking for 12 reporters from around the world to produce a series of stories at the intersection of tech & labor over the course of 12 months. Learn more: twp.ai/1D77La

The @pulitzercenter is hiring an AI senior editor to oversee all of our AI programming, which includes AI accountability fellowships and reporting grants, and the awesome AI Spotlight Series 🌟

More than 100 students joined our first AI & Future Content event. JMSC lecturer @MaJinxin hosted a dialogue with @semafor executive editor @GinaSKChua, who shared her experience, observations and insights on how emerging technologies like AI influence the media industry.

Who are the rising stars of Chinese politics? Many are leaders of mainland China's 31 provincial-level local governments We mapped provincial leaders and their connections in a new section of our interactive @AsiaPolicy product Decoding Chinese Politics Who's on the up? 1/18

EXCLUSIVE: This is exactly when China blocked ChatGPT, Hugging Face and other AI sites. I received first access to a platform that can track the precise timing of Chinese censorship, when previously this was difficult. Explore our interactive graphic: restofworld.org/2024/when-ch…