DeepSeek
AI/Machine Learning

Chinese gen AI app DeepSeek has been banned from Australian government devices

- February 5, 2025 2 MIN READ

DeepSeek, the hedge fund-backed Chinese version of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, has been prohibited on Australian government-issued systems and devices following a risk assessment by the Department of Home Affairs. Department secretary Stephanie Foster issued a Protective Security Policy Framework direction on Tuesday saying “the use of DeepSeek products, applications and web services poses an unacceptable level… Read more »

DeepSeek
AI/Machine Learning

How Chinese AI startup DeepSeek shook the foundations of cashed-up US tech giants

- January 28, 2025 3 MIN READ

Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) company DeepSeek has sent shockwaves through the tech community, with the release of extremely efficient AI models that can compete with cutting-edge products from US companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic. Founded in 2023, DeepSeek has achieved its results with a fraction of the cash and computing power of its competitors.… Read more »

kids video games
Gaming

Before Australia banned social media for under 16s, China tried to stop kids playing video games – and here’s what happened next

- December 10, 2024 3 MIN READ

In late November, Australia’s federal parliament passed landmark legislation banning under-16s from accessing social media. Details remain vague: we don’t have a complete list of which platforms will fall under the legislation, or how the ban will look in practice. However, the government has signalled that trials of age assurance technologies will be central to… Read more »

Cybersecurity
Cyber security

The Australian government’s TikTok ban is barking up the wrong cybersecurity tree

- April 14, 2023 4 MIN READ

Australia has joined other countries in announcing a ban on the use of TikTok on government devices, with some states and territories following suit. The rationale was based on security fears and, in particular, the risk the platform will be used for foreign interference operations by China. TikTok is a video-sharing platform operated by ByteDance,… Read more »

Cryptocurrency

China fires another shot at bitcoin, making cryptocurrency transactions illegal

- September 28, 2021 3 MIN READ

China has continued its bitcoin crackdown by making all cryptocurrency transactions illegal. The Chinese central bank issued a statement on Saturday, seeking to clarify a joint notice from regulators in May which told financial institutions to step away from all cryptocurrency activity, signalling an end to the country’s involvement in the speculative digital assets. “In recent years, bitcoin and… Read more »

China, hacker
Cyber security

Australia joins US, UK and EU in saying China was behind the global Microsoft email hack

- July 20, 2021 2 MIN READ

The Australian government has accused China’s Ministry of State Security being behind a global hack of Microsoft’s Exchange email system earlier this year. The announcement, released by Foreign Affairs Minister Senator Marise Payne late on Monday night, alongside Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews and Defence Minister Peter Dutton, coincidences with similar findings announced by leading… Read more »

great wall of China
Politics

What’s behind China’s crackdown on big tech?

- July 16, 2021 4 MIN READ

Over the past few weeks, the Chinese government’s crackdown on big tech companies has intensified. The giants have all felt the brunt of heightened regulatory scrutiny. At the end of last year, Ant Group (which owns the payment platform AliPay) failed to go public on the stock market. Chinese regulators cited a lack of compliance… Read more »

Global tech

China’s $3.6 billion fine against Alibaba spells the end of big tech’s romance with Beijing

- April 19, 2021 4 MIN READ

China’s state-run anti-monopoly bureau has tightened its regulations on big tech players, as shown by its recent move against the country’s largest e-commerce company, Alibaba Group. Alibaba was hit with a record antitrust fine of 18.2 billion yuan (more than A$3.6 billion) over the weekend for supposedly abusing its market dominance. The company, which operates… Read more »

Cyber security

A Chinese data company profiled Atlassian co-founders Scott Farquhar and Mike Cannon-Brookes among 35,000 Australians

- September 14, 2020 4 MIN READ

National security is like sausage-making. We might enjoy the tasty product, but want to look away from the manufacturing. Recent news that Chinese company Zhenhua Data is profiling more than 35,000 Australians isn’t a surprise to people with an interest in privacy, security and social networks. We need to think critically about this, knowing we… Read more »

Topic

Hackers are targeting Australia: Scott Morrison flags ‘state-based’ attacks – and it all points to China

- June 19, 2020 2 MIN READ

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australian organisations are currently being targeted by “a sophisticated state-based cyber actor” in a media conference that appears to escalate the ongoing war of words with China. “This activity is targeting Australian organisations across a range of sectors, including all levels of government, industry, political organisations, education, health, essential service providers… Read more »