Google and Apple ordered to stop fake government TXTs
Asia in Brief Singapore’s government last week told Google and Apple to prevent fake government messages.
The Ministry of Home Affairs announced it had sent the tech giants Implementation Directives that require them to prevent accounts and group chats from displaying names which spoof “gov.sg” or Singapore Government agencies and also filter such messages.
A second measure requires Google and Apple to “Ensure the profile names of unknown senders are not displayed or are displayed less prominently than their phone numbers. This would help users better identify and be wary of unknown senders.”
The Directives apply to Apple’s iMessage service and Google Messages, and mean those services now have the same regulatory requirements as SMS messages. It also means the tech giants face stern fines – up to S$1 million ($775,000) and then S$100,000 each day – if they do not comply.
India sees a large airliner industry on the far horizon
India’s minister for science and technology Dr. Jitendra Singh last week said the nation must try to spark a commercial plane-making industry.
Speaking at an event at which he reviewed progress on the made-in-India 19-seat SARAS Mk-2, Singh said that plane “is only the beginning, as India must now look ahead to conceiving and building larger aircraft … to meet its growing aviation needs.”
Singh said building bigger planes is a project “for the long run.”
Workers indicted over Korean datacenter fire
South Korean media report that local authorities have indicted 19 people over the datacenter fire that saw an outage hit most online government services.
Reports say the indictments allege negligence by the indicted workers, who apparently did not properly insulate the facility or cut off power.
Massive e-commerce data leak in Korea
Also in Korea, authorities are investigating the leak of over 30 million customer records from giant e-tailer Coupang.
Initial analysis of the leak suggested the incident led to theft of customer names, email addresses, and addresses, describing around 4,600 people. New estimates suggest the heist contains data on over 30 million people, and therefore over half of South Korea’s population.
Gig workers get minimum wage in Australia
The Australian outposts of food delivery giants Uber Eats and DoorDash last week agreed, with approval from local unions, on a proposal to pay gig workers a minimum wage.
The deal would see food delivery workers earn at least AU$31 ($20) an hour, with platforms topping up wages if payments for deliveries don’t reach the minimum hourly wage. It’s currently possible to earn AU$31 an hour delivering food, but only when the stars align and workers don’t have to wait for kitchens to produce food. This deal aims, in part, to pay workers for time the spend waiting for food.
China reiterates crypto ban
The People’s Bank of China last week held a meeting to consider speculation in virtual currencies, and afterwards reiterated that digital currencies other than those controlled by Beijing are not welcome in the Middle Kingdom.
The central bank reportedly decided that Beijing’s 2021 decision to effectively outlaw mining for and trading in cryptocurrencies should stand.
China doesn’t mind blockchains when used for other purposes, and supports Hong Kong’s efforts to become a hub for trading stablecoins.
Here’s a cool and unusual rocket launch video from Australia
Australian company AtSPACE last week conducted the first test flight of its A01 rocket, a vehicle that uses both liquid and solid fuels.
The launch was a success, reaching an altitude of around 80 km – apparently a record for an Australian-made launcher. The company shot video of the launch, including the one below captured with a camera mounted on the launch rail that guided the A01 into the sky. The Register has never seen a launch from an angle like this, so thought we would share it with you.
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