News & Reviews:   ban

Apple reportedly considered removing the Grok AI chatbot from the App Store after the app was found to be generating sexualised deepfake images, including non-consensual content. The move came amid mounting pressure on Apple to act, as the company faced criticism for continuing to host the app despite widespread misuse. According to reports, Apple ultimately chose to intervene behind the scenes rather than immediately enforce a ban.

It's been more than a year since Google was ordered to open its Play Store to third-party app stores. However, Fortnite is only now making its comeback to the wider Android scene. This means more Android users now have access to the game again without going through possibly insecured third-party stores. More details below.

Like Malaysia, Indonesia has announced a nationwide ban on social media access for children under the age of 16, as part of a broader effort to address growing concerns about online safety. The policy was confirmed by Communications and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid, who said the regulation aims to protect young users from harmful digital environments.

Malaysia has officially placed electronic waste (e-waste) under a complete import ban, effective immediately. The policy change, announced by the Malaysian National News Agency, classifies all e-waste as prohibited from entering the country under the Customs (Prohibition of Imports) Order 2023. This move marks a significant tightening of environmental regulations and reflects growing concerns over the improper handling and disposal of electronics.

In early January, we reported that MCMC planned to ban under-16s from social media this year. We have another new update today, as news sources report that the government is preparing to implement a minimum age requirement for social media accounts, which is expected to come into effect as early as July 2026, subject to completion of ongoing preparatory work.

In case you missed it, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has ordered a temporary restriction on access to Grok, the artificial intelligence tool developed by xAI, due to the repeated cases of misuse. The directive was issued and took effect on 11 January 2026, and it applies to all users in Malaysia as a preventive and proportionate measure while legal and regulatory processes are ongoing.

After years of regulatory uncertainty and political pressure, TikTok’s sale of its U.S. operations to a consortium of primarily American investors is now moving toward a 22 January 2026 closing date. The deal follows U.S. legislation, the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, that required ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to divest its U.S. business or face a nationwide ban.

Taiwan has now announced that it will ban access to the Xiaohongshu service, also known as Red Note, for a year. That said, what should you know about it?

One of the biggest news stories to kick off this week was the Malaysian government's decision to ban Malaysian teens under 16 from creating social media accounts. That being said, Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching also confirmed that parents will not be penalised if their children under 16 create or use social media accounts.

We have reported on this news before, but it seems that the possibility has turned into reality. The Malaysian government has announced a target of 2026 for rolling out a ban that will prevent children aged under 16 from creating social media accounts.