Dr. Renato de Castro an esteemed and respected International advisor for World e-Governments Organization of Cities & Local Governments (WeGo), has shared three intriguing 'Smart Cities' predictions in a paper entitled Smart City: Disruptions and Predictions.
Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha. ROSLAN RAHMAN / AFP
Thailand's government broadened the scope of its Computer Crime Act recently to impose imprisonment for up to five years for anyone found guilty of sharing 'distorted' information online.
South Korean authorities have confirmed that it will strengthen its policy over battery safety requirements and will conduct regular inspections in an effort to avoid a repeat of the Galaxy Note 7 fires last year.
China's President Xi Jinping (R) shakes hands with US President Barack Obama Greg BAKER / AFP
China's internet regulator has issued a report in which it has outlined plans to formalize a new cybersecurity review which would represent a new challenge for foreign tech firms in what has become an increasingly volatile market for the tech sector. It has been an exceptionally difficult year for US technology companies in China - Uber sold off its operations, Apple services were discontinued in some parts - while Microsoft faced a new inquiry.
Indian officials have resisted advances from US technology giant Apple to move some of its production to the country '“ but they did state that they are in the process of reviewing its overall manufacturing policy.
Chinese authorities refuted allegations from the U.S. Defense Department - and insisted that its space program is aimed at bolstering the country's national development and security. The U.S. Defense Department expressed their fears over China's space strategy, claiming that it was pursuing space activities that were specifically designed to prevent adversaries from using space-based assets during a time of crisis.
China have ordered that all app stores must register with the government in order to operate legally in the region - after it claimed that some applications were guilty of spreading illegal information. Chinese authorities insist the motivation behind the move is to protect users from misinformation and security risks.
Police in Thailand have apprehended and arrested nine people on suspicion of hacking a number of government websites in recent days, which caused huge disruption to some services. It is believed that the hacking was conducted in response to a controversial cyber censorship law which was passed by government figures earlier this month.
The beautiful city of Makati in the Philippines has taken the first steps towards becoming a smart city, following an announcement which was made at the FTTH Council Asia-Pacific's Philippines Workshop. The project has been described as a trend setter in terms of smart cities in the region '“ and it has been described a significant and progressive step in the development and regeneration of cities in the Philippines.
Facebook has specifically developed a censorship tool in order to try and force its way back into China. The social network empire was banned in China following the violence that broke out in Urumqi in July, 2009. The Chinese government took the decision to ban Facebook '“ after they established that many Xinjiang independence activists were using the social network to organise other activists.
