APAC Digital Digest - August 2022: Tracing Digital Growth in the APAC

ClickInsights has come up with its August edition of the APAC Digital Digest wherein they cover the latest developments in advertising, telecommunications, e-commerce, cybersecurity, blockchain, social networks, fintech, and eSports. The report aims to shed light on various updates from within these industries, which can help marketers come up with effective marketing strategies.

Here are the major highlights of the report.

1. China's Xiaomi Produces First Smartphones in Vietnam

China's Xiaomi Corp has produced its first batch of smartphones in Vietnam as it seeks to expand its foothold in Southeast Asia. The devices were produced at a factory in the province of Thai Nguyen, north of the capital Hanoi, the company said in an emailed statement. The plant is operated by Xiaomi's partner, DBG Technology. Vietnam has in recent years become a regional manufacturing hub for global electronics makers.

2. India’s Tweaked Telecom Rules Seen Blocking China’s Huawei, ZTE

India has tweaked its telecom licensing rules to make it harder for Chinese vendors to sell to local operators ahead of a much-awaited 5G auction later this year. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) announced last month that telecom licenses will require operators to purchase equipment from so-called “trusted sources” for both network expansion and upgrade projects.

3. Philippines Climbs Higher in Global List of Cyberhacking Targets

The Philippines climbed from the 30th spot to fourth place in just five years in the global ranking of the most attacked countries based on the yearly Kaspersky Security Network (KSN)survey. Data from the KSN also showed that web threat attempts against Filipino users of Kaspersky software grew by 432.75 percent from about 9.5 million in 2017 to 50.5 million in 2021.

4. Chinese Authorities Grill Alibaba Executives in Data Leak of 1 bn People

Rattled by the alleged data leak of nearly 1 billion residents, the Chinese authorities summoned executives and senior technicians from Alibaba Group, after the hacker claimed the data came from the Alibaba server. According to a report in Nikkei Asia, Alibaba executives were called by Shanghai police as the law enforcement agency suffered one of the biggest data breaches in history. The leaked data from the Shanghai National Police (SHGA) database was put up for sale on Dark Web for 10 Bitcoins last month.

5. Calls to Ban Social Media App TikTok in Australia Grows

Calls to ban TikTok in Australia are growing in response to concerns it is harvesting unnecessary amounts of information. Cybersecurity experts have warned Australian TikTok users that the Chinese government could use the app to harvest personal information, from in-app messages with friends to precise device locations.

6. Vietnam Has 3rd Highest Number of Online Video Piracy Consumers in Southeast Asia

Online video piracy is worsening in Vietnam with the number of users watching or listening to pirated stuff estimated at 15.5 million, the third highest in Southeast Asia. This was disclosed in a report by Media Partners Asia at a seminar on online piracy in Vietnam and its prevention held last month in Hanoi.

7. Telstra and Microsoft Sign an Agreement to Support Australia’s Digital Growth

Telstra and Microsoft have announced a major expansion of their strategic partnership to drive growth and value for customers and Australia as a nation. The five-year agreement is one of the largest partnerships Microsoft has established with a telecommunications provider globally. The companies aim to help accelerate Australia’s digital transformation by combining Microsoft’stechnology with Telstra’s network reach and technological capabilities.

8. AFT Pharmaceuticals enters China's E-commerce Pilot Scheme

Local drugmaker AFT Pharmaceuticals has begun selling a range of its products into the multi-billion-dollar Chinese market. The over-the-counter (OTC) products will be sold through the company's store, Kiwi Health Global Flagship Store, on the cross-border e-commerce platform, Tmall Global.

9. Vietnamese Provinces Use E-Commerce Platforms to Sell Agricultural Products

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, several provinces in Vietnam are focusing on boosting e-commerce and have developed e-commerce trading floors. In fact, as of March, 44 out of 63 provinces and cities in the country had built their own e-commerce platforms. Most of these platforms are developed and managed by local departments of Industry and Trade. Up to 75% of these platforms use national domain names.

Wrapping Up

There’s much more in store for you in our August edition of the APAC Digital Digest. Did you know that Pakistan has become the third-largest seller on Amazon? Or did you know that Vietnam leads Southeast Asia in online purchases?

Well, to find more such valuable insights and delve deeper into the findings of the APAC Digital Digest, download the full report here.