Tag: Social Media
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25,000 Small Town Residents in Turkey Accidentally Get High, Chinese Netizens Can’t Stop Laughing
This week, Chinese news outlets picked up a bizarre story from Turkey that instantly went viral across social media platforms. The delayed report, originally from April 18th, described Turkish police's attempt to destroy 20 tons of seized cannabis in an ...
Viral Chinese Video Sparks National Debate: Is Egypt Turning from the U.S. to China?
While China and Egypt’s first-ever joint air force exercise “Eagle of Civilization” in April 2025 initially flew under the radar—mostly discussed only among military enthusiasts—a video from the popular stream platform Bilibili has brought the issue into mainstream discourse. The video, ...
Philippines, China Clashes Trigger Money-Making Disinformation
By By Ara Eugenio, Jan Cuyco, Lucille Sodipe, Nattakorn Ploddee Violent confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels in the South China Sea are being manipulated online by disinformation networks for profit, posing risks to regional security, an AFP investigation has found. ...
Chinese Company in West Africa Turns Nigeria’s Political Dysfunction Into a Controversial Marketing Campaign
A Chinese wholesale company in Nigeria sparked widespread controversy with its new ad that leverages the West African country's political dysfunction to promote its services. The ad opens with a news clip of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu telling viewers that he "feels ...
West African Social Media Fizzes With Pro-BRICS Content
By Emilie Beraud et Célia Lebur West African social media is abuzz with posts promoting a "brighter future" in partnership with non-Western powers, especially those belonging to the BRICS emerging economies meeting this week in Russia.
Why Did France Ban TikTok in Pacific New Caledonia?
France has taken the dramatic step of blocking TikTok in its Pacific territory of New Caledonia as part of efforts to quell days of violent unrest. It is the latest clash between democratic governments and the Chinese-owned social media platform.
India’s Influencers Still Struggle Years After TikTok Ban
By Asma Hafiz with Anuj Srivas Choreographer Sahil Kumar found fame showcasing folk dances on TikTok, but his profile has been dormant since the video he posted four years ago supporting India's decision to ban the platform.
TikTok Stops Working in Kyrgyzstan After Ban Proposals
Kyrgyzstan appears to have blocked TikTok after the Central Asian country's security services called to restrict the social media app to "protect children". When AFP journalists in the country tried to access TikTok on Thursday, a message read: "Unable to load, ...
ByteDance Shuts Down Free African Messaging App That Failed to Challenge WhatsApp
Chinese tech firm ByteDance shut down its three-year-old multimedia messaging app LetsChat earlier this month, a rare defeat for the social media giant that hoped the platform would take off among Africa’s ballooning youth population. In contrast to TikTok, ByteDance’s short ...
Rwandan Singers Strike a Chord on Chinese Social Media
A young Rwandan man and his group of compatriot singers have gone viral in China with short videos showing them performing well-known songs in near-perfect Mandarin. The group, led by Pacifique Izabayo, who goes by the online name Bobo, performs ...
Chinese and Philippine Coast Guard Trade Barbs Over Encounter on Remote South China Sea Shoal
Tensions between the Chinese and Philippines Coast Guard moved from the South China Sea to social media where the two sides on Wednesday battled it out over shaping the narrative about an encounter that occurred two weeks ago. On January 12,
Southeast Asia is Testing TikTok’s Limits
ByteDance’s TikTok is learning some very valuable lessons from the past few weeks: overconfidence is bad, and a new level of creativity might be in order if it wants to keep up with Southeast Asia’s policy quirks. Charm alone is not enough in this part of the ...