As AI reshapes the marketing landscape, this year’s forum places a special emphasis on AI integration and automation, featuring an impressive lineup of speakers from global brands including The Coca-Cola Company, Unilever, PepsiCo and TikTok.

The two-day conference will run parallel tracks exploring more than 10 crucial themes, from AI-driven marketing strategies to customer experience optimisation. Dr. Luke Soon from PwC Singapore will present insights on ‘Humanising the future of marketing through AI and Automation’ as part of the conference’s focus on emerging technologies.

Several high-impact panel discussions will address the industry’s most pressing challenges. A notable session, ‘From Productivity to Creativity – How to utilise AI in your Marketing Strategy’, brings together experts from Google, PwC Singapore and First Page Digital to explore practical applications of AI in marketing operations.

Key highlights

• Data & AI innovation: Multiple sessions will explore how brands can harness AI for agile marketing insights, with Intel’s Sahaj Khunteta sharing strategies for driving marketing agility through AI-powered analytics.
• Customer experience focus: The conference features dedicated tracks on personalisation and customer-centric strategies, including a panel on ‘Shaping your digital strategy with Personalised Experiences’ featuring representatives from RBL Bank, Pearson and AEON.
• Social media evolution: Alexander Lim from TikTok will present on ‘Leveraging Gen AI to Create for Commerce’, while other sessions explore emerging social media trends and creator economy strategies.
• E-commerce & omnichannel: Industry leaders from ZALORA Group and MoneyHero will share insights on adapting to changing consumer behaviours in the digital commerce landscape.

The event has attracted top-tier sponsors, with HubSpot serving as the Track Sponsor, while Semrush Enterprise and Brandwatch join as Gold Sponsors. This strong industry backing underscores DMWF’s position as a premier gathering for marketing professionals in the Asia-Pacific region.

HubSpot’s Kat Warboys will be presenting a session on ‘From Hype to Reality: AI’s Evolution from Buzzword to Growth Essential’, highlighting how marketing technology continues to reshape industry practices.

For marketing professionals looking to stay ahead of industry trends and connect with leading innovators, DMWF Asia 2025 promises to be an unmissable event. The conference will feature networking opportunities with in excess of 300 senior-level marketers and more than 50 expert speakers across various sectors.

Those interested in attending or learning more about speaking opportunities can contact the organisers at hello@digitalmarketingwf.com. The full agenda and registration details are available on the DMWF Asia website.

Readers can get 25% off their tickets by using the code TECHWIRE at checkout.

As the marketing landscape continues to transform, DMWF Asia 2025 stands as a beacon for professionals seeking to navigate the intersection of technology, creativity and customer engagement in the digital age.

The post AI takes centre stage at DMWF Asia 2025: marketing leaders converge in Singapore appeared first on TechWire Asia.

In just a couple of days, the United States will decide whether to officially ban TikTok. As the clock counts down, TikTok users are finding creative ways to resist the impending ban, and one popular alternative gaining traction is a Chinese app called RedNote, known as “China’s TikTok” by some users.

RedNote, known as Xiaohongshu in China, has climbed to the top of the Apple App Store in the US as TikTok’s fate hangs in the balance. Unlike TikTok, RedNote combines photos, short-form videos, and text posts into a single platform, with content organised into “follow,” “explore,” and “nearby” feeds.

The proposed TikTok ban stems from national security concerns about its ties to its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. In response, many users have turned to RedNote, seeing it as both an alternative platform and a form of protest.

While RedNote shares some similarities with TikTok, it’s not a direct clone. It’s a versatile social media app owned by Shanghai-based Xingyin Information Technology. RedNote offers community-building tools, shopping features, and multimedia sharing. It has quickly become a refuge for American TikTokers, with many encouraging their followers to join the platform as a symbolic stand against the ban. Some have framed this move as a way to challenge both the US government and Meta, which could benefit from TikTok’s absence by attracting users to its TikTok-inspired Reels. It’s worth noting that Meta has faced accusations of lobbying against TikTok in the past.

A quick glance at RedNote’s “Explore” page reveals a mix of English and Chinese content. Many American users are calling themselves “TikTok refugees” and sharing posts about starting fresh on the platform. Some are even asking Chinese users about popular memes or trends in China, fostering an interesting cultural exchange.

RedNote is not a new app; it launched in 2013 as a shopping-focused platform. It now has over 300 million monthly active users and reportedly made more than $1 billion in profit last year, according to Bloomberg.

Meanwhile, TikTok’s fate is being argued in the Supreme Court. Discussions have centred on whether the app should be banned outright or if ByteDance should sell its US operations to an American company. A decision, expected by January 19, will determine TikTok’s fate in the US.

In anticipation of a potential ban, some users have pledged to boycott Meta’s platforms, including Instagram and Facebook, for a week. Others are simply preparing to move their online presence to RedNote. Then, there’s Lemon8, a mix of Instagram and Pinterest, launched in the United States in 2023, and has gained traction, now seen as another potential TikTok replacement. However, because it is also a ByteDance product, it’s unknown how long it can escape the same scrutiny.

What sets RedNote apart? For one, its user interface differs from TikTok’s. Videos don’t autoplay on opening the app, and users must log in to access its features. The app offers a personalised experience with content tailored to individual preferences.

The app’s growing popularity has sparked humour and camaraderie among users. Posts welcoming “TikTok refugees” are plentiful, with others joking about meeting their “Chinese spy” counterparts. These lighthearted memes and cultural exchanges reflect shared frustrations with the political undertones of the TikTok ban.

Jokes about the situation have further fueled the discussion. TikTok users are creating videos bidding farewell to their “Chinese spy friends,” with some even speaking in Mandarin. The humorous posts, often critical of the US government’s stance, have gone viral, highlighting a mix of humour and discontent.

As Sunday approaches, TikTok users anxiously await the Supreme Court’s decision. Many are already exploring life beyond TikTok

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Interested in hearing leading global brands discuss subjects like this in person? Find out more about Digital Marketing World Forum (#DMWF) Europe, London, North America, and Singapore.

The post RedNote climbs to no. 1 as TikTok faces potential ban appeared first on TechWire Asia.

In a recent post on Threads, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri acknowledged a growing concern on the platform: the rise of engagement bait. “We’ve seen an increase in engagement bait on Threads, and we’re working to get it under control,” Mosseri stated, promising “more to come” on the issue without specifying the exact measures being taken. 

The development marks a significant moment for Threads, Meta’s Twitter-like platform, as it grapples with content quality issues similar to those faced by other social media platforms.

Understanding engagement bait

Engagement bait refers to content designed primarily to elicit reactions, comments, or shares, often at the expense of genuine value or meaningful interaction. Common examples include posts that explicitly ask users to like, comment, or share, or those that use misleading tactics to boost engagement metrics. While these practices can temporarily inflate a post’s visibility, they can lead to a poor user experience and can dilute the platform’s overall content quality.

The impact on Threads

Threads, launched in July 2023 as a text-based conversation app, quickly gained traction as an alternative to Twitter. However, the platform’s rapid growth has also brought challenges, including the proliferation of engagement bait. This issue threatens to impact its long-term viability and user retention.

Instagram’s acknowledgement of the problem and commitment to addressing it signals a proactive approach to maintaining content quality. Its stance aligns with broader social media management trends, where platforms increasingly prioritise authentic engagement over raw metrics.

Opportunities for digital marketers

While the crackdown on engagement bait may seem challenging for digital marketers, it presents an opportunity to refine strategies and focus on more sustainable, authentic engagement. 

Here are several ways digital marketers can effectively use Threads to promote brands in this evolving landscape:

1. Focus on value-driven content: Create content that genuinely resonates with your audience. Share insights, behind-the-scenes glimpses, or industry news your followers will find valuable.
2. Leverage real-time conversations: Threads’ real-time nature makes it ideal for joining trending discussions. Engage in conversations relevant to your brand, offering unique perspectives or expertise.
3. Collaborate with influencers: Partnering with influencers who align with your brand values for authentic promotions can work well on Threads, too. Ensure collaborations feel natural and add value for the audience.
4. Utilise Threads’ features: Experiment with Threads’ features, such as its integration with Instagram, to create cross-platform campaigns that drive engagement organically.
5. Encourage employee advocacy: Allow employees to share brand content and engage in industry discussions on Threads, expanding your reach through authentic voices.
6. Create a Thread series: Develop a series of connected posts that dive deep into topics relevant to your audience, encouraging followers to engage with the entire series.
7. Host Q&A sessions: Use Threads to host live Q&A sessions, addressing customer queries and showcasing your brand’s expertise and customer service.
8. Share user-generated content: Encourage and share user-generated content related to your brand, fostering a sense of community and authentic engagement.
9. Provide exclusive updates: Use Threads to share exclusive updates or announcements, giving followers a reason to stay engaged with your brand on the platform.
10. Engage in community building: Focus on building a community around your brand by consistently engaging with followers, responding to comments, and fostering discussions.

Navigating the new landscape

Digital marketers must inevitably adapt their strategies as Threads evolves its policies to combat engagement bait. The key lies in shifting focus from short-term engagement metrics to long-term relationship building and brand loyalty. By prioritising authentic interactions and valuable content, marketers can comply with platform guidelines and build more meaningful connections.

As Threads refines its algorithms to favour quality content over engagement bait, brands that consistently provide value will likely see improved visibility and organic growth. This allows marketers to establish their brands as thought leaders and trusted voices within their industries.

Threads’ crackdown on engagement bait reflects a broader trend on social media platforms towards more authentic, value-driven content. For digital marketers, the shift necessitates reevaluating strategies, focusing on creating genuine connections with audiences.

The post Threads’ engagement bait problem and digital marketing opportunities appeared first on TechWire Asia.

In a typical e-commerce landscape where competition is fierce and attention spans are fleeting, companies are constantly seeking innovative ways to remain top-of-mind for consumers. Temu, a Chinese fast-fashion giant backed by Nasdaq-listed PDD Holdings, has recently made headlines with a surprising tactic: splurging on Super Bowl ads in the US. This move has sparked curiosity and speculation about Temu’s position in the US market and its strategy for staying relevant in an ever-evolving industry.

In the fast-paced world of e-commerce in the US, two giants have emerged as frontrunners in the battle for consumer attention: Temu and Shein. Their sleek interfaces, vast product offerings, and attractive deals have captured the hearts—and wallets—of millions of shoppers across America. But competition is also peaking, and Temu has been facing increasing pressure, especially from Shein.

The fast-growing Chinese e-commerce platform has to protect its market share from being constantly eroded. Temu has been forced to reevaluate its approach to maintaining relevance in the fiercely competitive US market. Last weekend, Temu splashed at the Super Bowl, airing its ad six times and dishing out a jaw-dropping US$10 million in giveaways, all in a bid to breathe new life into its waning US presence.

The Super Bowl is an event known not only for its electrifying football showdown but also for its highly coveted advertising slots. A 30-second commercial during Sunday night’s game cost about US$7 million. With millions of viewers tuned in from around the world, the Super Bowl presents an unparalleled opportunity for brands to showcase their products and capture the attention of a captive audience.

Temu’s American shopping base is dwindling, with Second Measure data showing a decline. A late January Morgan Stanley survey revealed nearly a third of users plan to decrease app usage over three months, with only eBay and Etsy showing weaker forecasts. Sales took a nosedive for Temu, plummeting 12.5% in December and 4.8% in January, a stark contrast to its 50% growth in mid-2023. Despite Temu’s struggle, overall US retail sales surged in December.

For Temu, this year’s Super Bowl represented more than just a chance to advertise its latest gadgets—it’s a strategic move to reclaim its position as a frontrunner in the tech industry. These insights, drawn from Bloomberg’s Second Measure data track a slice of US credit and debit card transactions. 

But why the sudden emphasis on splashy advertising, especially in an era dominated by digital marketing and social media influencers? The answer lies in Temu’s recognition of the power of storytelling and emotional connection in shaping consumer perceptions. By investing in high-profile ad placements during one of the most-watched events of the year, Temu aims to create memorable experiences that resonate with audiences long after the final whistle blows.

Temu’s decision to splurge on Super Bowl ads is not without risks. With advertising costs reaching new heights, there’s no guarantee that the investment will yield the desired returns. The company faces fierce competition from other tech giants vying for the spotlight during the big game. While web searches for the app spiked when its ads aired, according to Google Trends data, searches have steadily declined since early July 2023.

Overall, Temu, which made it into the US market in September 2022, spent a staggering US$3 billion last year on marketing, per Bernstein Research. And if its Super Bowl campaign is any indication, it’s not pumping the brakes anytime soon. The spending spree underscores the challenge ahead: Temu aims to attain prominence in the West that has eluded most Chinese-owned enterprises, with only Shein and TikTok managing to carve out substantial niches thus far.

The post Is Temu’s Super Bowl splurge a last-ditch effort amid fading US interest? appeared first on TechWire Asia.

It has only been eight months since Elon Musk completed his US$44 billion deal to own Twitter, but the social media platform has gone through quite a ride under the ownership of the business magnate ever since. So much so that this week, Twitter has a brand new logo, replacing its decades-old iconic blue bird. This means the social media platform will soon be known as ‘X,’ and tweets will be dubbed “x’s.”

It all started on July 22 when Elon Musk tweeted, “Soon we shall bid adieu to the Twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds.” The next 48 hours were followed by speculations on what the rebranding could mean and what new logo would replace the iconic blue bird. On the afternoon of July 23, Sunday, Musk tweeted that “if a good enough X logo is posted tonight, we’ll go live worldwide tomorrow.” 

Within the next 30 minutes, a user that goes by the name @SawyerMerritt posted a three seconds video of what would potentially be the new Twitter logo. Musk retweeted the video, indicating his preference for the fan-made design. Not much later, Musk changed his profile image to the new logo. He even posted a picture of the structure projected on Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters.

The transition happened too quickly for many to grasp. By the morning of July 24, Twitter began replacing its decades-held logo with a fan-made “????” logo. It was all over Twitter’s homepage, as a profile picture for its official Twitter account, and on a splash screen displayed while the website loads. The blue bird logo are gradually being erased from the service entirely — and as of the time of writing, the website’s favicon has been replaced while the classic blue bird remains prominent throughout the mobile apps. 

What does the new logo mean for Twitter?

Looking back, the rebrand comes after months of erratic behavior by Musk turned off users and pushed away advertisers, leaving Twitter in a troubled financial position and increasingly vulnerable to competition. For context, Musk had already converted Twitter’s corporate name to X Corp, a subsidiary of X Holding Corp, as revealed in an April court filing. 

Musk has used the letter X repeatedly across his companies. He co-founded x.com as an online bank in 1999, which later transformed into PayPal. He repurchased the domain from PayPal in 2017, saying it had “sentimental value.” In the US, the domain x.com now redirects to Twitter. 

“The new logo garnered mixed reactions from users and sparked confusion about what tweets would now be called, while marketing and branding experts said the rebrand risked throwing away years of Twitter’s name recognition,” Reuters stated in an article yesterday. 

Just before buying Twitter, Musk said last October that he viewed the US$44 billion deal as “an accelerant to creating X, the everything app.” In fact, for as long as Twitter has been on Musk’s mind, he has envisioned an app that could offer various services to users beyond social media, such as peer-to-peer payments. The idea mirrors the widely popular WeChat app in China. 

Quoting Tom Morton, global chief strategy officer at ad agency R/GA, Reuters stated that the transformation is simply a way for Musk to make his mark on the company. “Twitter’s changing name and logo has nothing to do with user, advertiser, or market issues. It symbolizes that Twitter is Elon Musk’s personal property,” Morton told Reuters.

Linda Yaccarino, Twitter’s CEO since June 5, also told employees in a memo on Monday that X “will go even further to transform the global town square.” According to Reuters’ memo, the company will work on new features in audio, video, messaging, payments, and banking.

For now, the move of Musk’s renaming of Twitter as X is still fresh, and could turn out to be one of his biggest missteps since buying the company or a stroke of brilliance. Experts are leaning toward the former. Indeed, a sharp name change and a new logo can help change perceptions about a tattered brand like Twitter. 

The social wind of change?

The wind of change has not only been apparent in Twitter; there has been lots of change in the social media space over the last few weeks. Besides Twitter’s rebrand and the launch of Threads to take on Twitter’s microblogging dominance, TikTok has announced a new text feature this week that will broaden the kinds of content creators can share with followers.

The short-form video app allows sharing text-based posts with music and stickers, similar to Instagram Stories. Tech Wire Asia will be following up on this closely. Stay tuned for an in-depth article once the new TikTok feature enters the mainstream market.

The post From blue bird to ‘X’: Here’s everything we know about the new Twitter logo appeared first on TechWire Asia.

Viral video-sharing app TikTok, owned by China-based ByteDance, is commonly known as the most downloaded app worldwide. As of mid this year alone, the social media platform has surpassed more than 3.5 billion downloads, with more than a billion active monthly users. Inevitably, as it is the case with many other social media platforms, it makes it an enticing target for hackers and many had their guards up against TikTok. 

However, TikTok has fought back against the scrutiny — one too many times in fact. Most recently Shou Zi Chew, its chief executive, wrote directly to the US senators in July this year to “set the record straight” about the app’s data practices. Unfortunately, a month later on August 31, Microsoft announced that it discovered a “high-severity vulnerability” in the TikTok Android application, which could have “allowed attackers to compromise users’ accounts with a single click”.

“Attackers could have leveraged the vulnerability to hijack an account without users’ awareness if a targeted user simply clicked a specially crafted link. Attackers could have then accessed and modified users’ TikTok profiles and sensitive information, such as by publicizing private videos, sending messages, and uploading videos on behalf of users,”  Dimitrios Valsamaras from the Microsoft 365 Defender Research Team said in a blog posting.

While the vulnerability identified by Microsoft is a narrower issue, several other cybersecurity analysts a few days later tweeted about a purportedly a breach of an insecure server that allowed access to TikTok’s storage, which they believe contained personal user data. For starters, Troy Hunt, an Australian web security consultant, went through some of the data samples listed in the leaked files and found matches between user profiles and videos posted under those IDs.

But some details included in the leak were “publicly accessible data that could have been constructed without breach.” He did mention that it is “so far pretty inconclusive; some data matches production info, albeit publicly accessible info. Some data is junk, but it could be non-production or test data,” he posted on Twitter. “It’s a bit of a mixed bag so far.”

Similarly, “database hunter” Bob Diachenko has validated the leaked user data as real, but couldn’t provide any concrete conclusions about the origin of the data. “While there is definitely a breach, it is still work in progress to confirm the origin of data, could be a third party,” he tweeted.

According to BleepingComputer last Friday, a hacking group known as ‘AgainstTheWest’ created a topic on a hacking forum claiming to have breached both TikTok and WeChat. The user shared screenshots of an alleged database belonging to the companies, which they say was accessed on an Alibaba cloud instance containing data for both TikTok and WeChat users. To make it worse, the threat actor says the server holds 2.05 billion records in a massive 790GB database containing user data, platform statistics, software code, cookies, auth tokens, server info, and many more.

TikTok was however quick to update BleepingComputer that the claims of the company being hacked are false. The company in fact said the source code shared on hacking forums isn’t part of its platform. “This is an incorrect claim — our security team investigated this statement and determined that the code in question is completely unrelated to TikTok’s backend source code, which has never been merged with WeChat data.”

TikTok also told BleepingComputer that the leaked user data could not result from a direct scraping of its platform, as they have adequate security safeguards to prevent automated scripts from collecting user information. In a separate Hacker News forum thread, it has been suggested that the data looks like it came not from TikTok itself but rather from a third-party that integrates with TikTok for marketing or e-commerce purposes. 

As of now, it is far from clear at the moment whether third-parties have access to this type of data in the first place, let alone if one has actually been breached. So far, TikTok has not failed to come under fire for moderation and content issues, as well as its ability to influence through a powerful recommendations algorithm.

To put it into context, TikTok can gather information when you arrive on the site even if you aren’t signed up, via cookies and other trackers. Once you’ve created an account, the social network collects data about your activities and preferences based on the videos you watch. TikTok also knows the device you are using, your location, IP address, search history, the content of your messages, what you’re viewing and for how long. 

It also collects device identifiers to track your interactions with advertisers. TikTok “infers” factors such as your age range, gender and interests based on the information it has about you. In the US, TikTok can collect biometric information including face and voiceprints.

The post TikTok: A platform too big for hackers to ignore — but are users’ data safe? appeared first on TechWire Asia.

Social media has long since grown to play a significant role in people’s everyday lives because it keeps everyone in touch with friends and family and gives them access to fresh internet content every day. Take Instagram and YouTube for example; they are not all dissimilar from one another depending on the kind of content people are looking for. Both have content that allows viewers to watch short-form videos for convenience.

It’s interesting to observe what individuals are utilizing depending on the nation that uses social media on a daily basis. For instance, social media in Singapore has grown in significance for both businesses and individuals, whether they are trying to develop their brand or widen their circle of friends and family.

Recent findings from the “Singapore Government Social Media H1 2022” report by Emplifi, the leading unified customer experience platform, show how 30 statutory boards and 16 ministries are using popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube to interact with Singaporeans on a range of issues like COVID-19, vaccination, the environment, national service, and social conversations.

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Interestingly, 5.3 million people in Singapore utilize social media, making up 89.5% of the population. The COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination programs, travel safety precautions, floods, and social initiatives are just a few of the significant themes that the public sector uses social media to tell citizens about, according to Varun Sharma, Vice President, Asia Pacific & Japan, Emplifi.

“We also see an increased focus on reaching millennials and Gen Z through the growing use of Instagram and platforms like Tik Tok. We expect this trend to continue along with a greater mix of content types – videos, stories, live-streaming – to appeal to the younger demographic,” said Sharma.

According to the Emplifi research, the ranking of released content and interactions across the four platforms in H1 2022 was similar to that of H1 2021. 12,877 tweets, or more than half of the content, were published on Twitter, yet just 39,954 interactions (1.94%) resulted from this. When compared to Facebook, there were 7,330 pieces of content published (29.06%) and 60.26% more interactions (1.24 million).

Despite the positive results, Facebook interaction has declined by 15.4% from H1 2021. On the other hand, Instagram keeps expanding as a crucial platform for connecting with online users, especially the younger generation. From H1 2021 to H1 2022, the platform’s published content percentage increased by 5.34% to 3,797 posts, and engagement increased by 14.18% to 710,688 interactions.

Instagram and YouTube have the highest engagement

Due to its high engagement rate (0.85%), Instagram is the platform of choice for statutory boards and ministries in H1 2022. In contrast to H1 2021, YouTube surpassed Facebook as the second-most engaged platform, underscoring the expanding opportunity for the public sector to access images and videos via social media.

The National Parks Board’s (NPB) #CityInNatureSG campaign, The Ministry of Defence’s (MINDEF) NS55 campaign, The Ministry of Health’s (MOH) COVID Protocols, and MuslimSG’s Ramadan and Raya material rounded out the top five campaigns that generated the most interactions.

The majority of engagements for three of the top five campaigns were on Instagram and YouTube. MuslimSG received 27,359 conversations on Instagram, while #CityInNatureSG garnered 47,251 interactions (66.74% of all interactions). MINDEF NS55 recorded 15,380 and 17,674 engagements on YouTube and Instagram, respectively (together, 80.42% of all interactions).

This isn’t surprising considering that 88.7% of Singaporeans use YouTube on average for two hours per day and that four out of five of them choose the channel as their favorite platform for watching videos. Regarding Instagram, it is still one of the most well-liked social media platforms among millennials and enables businesses to connect with roughly 86% of the audience.

Singaporeans connect most frequently on social media in 2022, and this trend is unlikely to slow down very soon – whether it’s watching videos to communicating with friends and co-workers to just generally passing time on the applications.

The post Instagram vs YouTube – Which is more popular in Singapore? appeared first on TechWire Asia.

Is TikTok the new Google search? Well, it certainly seems that way, for Gen Zs at least.

Gone are the days when Google was the go-to place for information we’re looking for. For more than 20 years, Google has been the standard in the internet community, and for good reason. The industry-leading search engine has completely changed how we look for information, and millions of people still utilize its tools and services on a daily basis.

Due to its sheer size, Google has always been one of the most widely used search engines on the planet and is able to index a huge amount of content. Additionally, they are renowned for having a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to locate what you’re seeking for swiftly.

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However, since TikTok entered the market, the tide has begun to turn. TikTok surpassed Google as the most visited domain worldwide in 2021, according to Cloudflare.

When TikTok enters the scene as the “new Google search”

Given that TikTok is the fastest-growing social media network with the most global downloads and has amassed one billion active users in just 4.9 years, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Comparatively, it took Facebook 8.7 years to reach one billion users, commonly known as the king of social media. Only Facebook Messenger, and even then, only narrowly, reached the one billion-user milestone quicker, in 4.9 years.

Despite concerns over privacy issues, that have since and continued to be addressed, the success of TikTok obviously demonstrates how technology is evolving, but more importantly, it demonstrates how habits of gathering and consuming information about the world has changed.

Teenagers prefer using TikTok over Instagram or Snapchat. Despite this, TikTok isn’t just videos of memes or young people dancing, despite what many thought it was. Some of the popular content includes how-to videos, recipes, and beauty advice – which is in line with what Google, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram can offer.

Additionally, it implies that TikTok is being used for knowledge rather than just entertainment. Actually, there are educational uses for TikTok. Many teachers have started to shorten their school lessons using TikTok. This enables students to review lessons they might have missed in class or if they need a refresher, whether they are being taught in science, English, math, or even physical education.

Since the site initially only allowed up to 60 seconds for each video, teachers were compelled to focus on communicating their important points. A 3-minute video function has now been added by TikTok for creators. Consequently, it will be possible for teachers to include even more content in their digital microlessons.

There are numerous approaches one can go about this. Even better, one can create a TikTok to give productivity or course-related advice, or to remind students of deadlines or significant events.

For enterprises, some companies have starting using the app for onboarding services or even when making important company announcements. TikTok for Business has also been increasingly in demand with more businesses realizing the potential that can be delivered through the app.

Although the information shared on TikTok isn’t always accurate, it has been claimed that the platform has allowed users to look up things like restaurant recommendations, vacation spots, and tips for packing up before a flight.

Similar to how YouTube came to be, TikTok has given professionals in a variety of fields a platform to share knowledge that was previously gatekept or wasn’t always simple to obtain. These professionals include academics, healthcare workers, lawyers, contractors, and more.

No matter how educational TikTok may be given the rising audience of users that rely on the platform, similar to how Google is, users should always be prepared to be more cautious of the information they are consuming and vet sources. This is not to argue that everything someone says is false, but it is a good idea to constantly conduct more research based on the knowledge you have gained online.

The post TikTok dethrones Google as the new search engine? appeared first on TechWire Asia.

In the beginning of 2021, Twitter and the Indian government locked horns because the social media giant allowed dissent and criticism to thrive alongside official pronouncements. While the platform encourages freedom of speech, the government in India wanted to control it. The winner of the dispute? A little-known Indian social media app called Koo.

Following Twitter’s feud with the government, a parade of Indian cabinet ministers, government agencies and even right-wing celebrities opened accounts on Koo to support a homegrown alternative. The rush towards Koo but prominent figures led millions of Indian followers jumping ship.

For Koo, it was a sudden spike in visibility which lured a US$30 million investment round from Tiger Global and Accel, two US venture capital funds that once bet on another young social media start-up: Facebook. Koo started with 40 employees at the beginning of 2021, and ended the year with more than 200. The company believes it will expand to have 500 employees by the end of this year, according to a local media report.

Koo is pretty ambitious since 2021. In an exclusive report by the BBC, co-founder Mayank Bidawatka expects Koo to surpass Twitter’s 25 million-strong user base in India this year. For context, the app had touched 20 million downloads in India by the end of 2021. In terms of “eminent accounts”, Koo has 5,000 profiles and aims to triple it by the end of the year.

To recall, Koo was launched in early 2020, targeting primarily non-English users in India. Today, Koo is available in 10 languages, including English. The company has an aim to cover all of India’s 22 official languages. Twitter, on the other hand, supports only seven of Indian languages. 

The app even expanded to Nigeria in 2021 when the country suspended Twitter. Now, the app has a goal to reach 100 million users by the end of 2022, expanding into Southeast Asia, Africa, South America and Eastern Europe where English is not their primary language.

Twitter or Koo–social media will always be a battleground in India

Unfortunately, despite hardly being two years old, Koo have already beem accused of amplifying government propaganda and letting anti-Muslim hate speech go unchecked. Based on Koo’s seventh compliance report in accordance with the government’s new IT Rules, The platform received complaints on 4,509 posts.

In a report, it was said that the 4509 posts Koo received complaints against is a sharp increase in comparison with 3,767 during December 2021. There have also been talks on the privacy of the users’ information on Koo.

French security researcher and ethical hacker Robert Baptiste, who goes by the name Elliot Alderson on Twitter, posted about the loopholes of Koo. According to Baptiste, personal details of Koo users—such as date of birth, marital status, gender, etc—are easily traceable by third parties. Koo’s co-founder Aprameya Radhakrishna however denied the claim and tweeted that the news about data leak is being spoken unnecessarily.

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Latency and network issues often affect the live stream experience as viewers would opt to not continue watching and find other content to watch. For broadcasters, the pressure is higher on them as consumers are paying premium prices to get the best service available to them. Any downtime in the live stream would leave viewers extremely disappointed with the broadcast provider.

The global live streaming market itself is expected to reach US$ 247 million by 2027, with the US and the Asia Pacific region representing the biggest growth. Major events in sports and the entertainment industry, as well as gaming, have often dominated the broadcast market. However, the simplicity of live streaming has also made other market segments like government, education, and retail look into video broadcasting as well.

The esports vertical in particular is likely to generate huge revenues for the global live streaming market. The rise of gaming communities and the launch of massively multiplayer online role-playing games by game developers as well as increasing e-sport tournaments have also contributed to increased live streaming.

With 5G networks on the horizon as well, latency issues with live streaming may just be solved, enabling smoother live stream broadcasts across all sorts of devices and platforms.

Broadcasting vs Piracy

Compared to social media live streaming videos, most live stream events often feature content that has been purchased exclusively by broadcasting companies.

For example, the English Premier League’s sole broadcast provider in Malaysia is Astro while Fox Sports and Star Sports have sole broadcast rights for Formula One in Asia till the 2022 season.

With exclusive broadcasters often charging a premium amount for users wanting to watch the content, viewers have been looking to illegal streaming and piracy instead, which are often hosted on unsecured sites that can be fronts for phishing and other cyber threats.

According to Harish Menon, Senior Director, Global Broadcast Operations and Customer Events at Akamai, broadcasters are now looking at methods to reduce illegal streaming and piracy.

Harish explained that the top priorities for online streaming today are scalability, reliability, and security. Broadcast companies need to be able to scale their services as and when needed and have a reliable infrastructure in place to ensure minimal disruption. They also need to focus on how they can secure their broadcast and avoid it being phished for illegal streams.

The Broadcast Operation Control Center

This is where Akamai’s Broadcast Operation Control Center (BOCC) comes into play. The managed solution is designed for customers looking to offload (or supplement) proactive monitoring, alerting, live support, and mitigation for their OTT video streams. It provides direct access to Akamai media experts who have unprecedented network visibility and offer hands-on assistance when needed.

While the BOCC does help with perfecting live broadcasts, piracy will still remain an issue. The only way broadcast companies can deal with piracy and illegal streaming is to ensure they have sufficient protection for their infrastructure. They need to protect their data, IPs and also have detection software for any anomalies in their broadcast.

Some sporting events can detect illegal streaming and shut them down. Unfortunately, for every illegal stream shut down, more new ones emerge as well. It is an ongoing battle between broadcasters and illegal streamers which may be going on for some time to come.

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