Asia-Pacific

The Australian government announced on November 8, 2024, its intention to introduce legislation this year banning users under 16 from social media platforms. As is the case with similar legislation at the state level in the United States, blocking an entire age group from social media is the equivalent of using a regulatory sledgehammer instead of a scalpel to address complex and evolving online safety issues.

For policymakers to bolster the global competitiveness of their nations and regions, they first must know where they stand. This report benchmarks the 87 regions of India and the United States using 13 commonly available indicators of strength in the knowledge economy, globalization, and innovation capacity.

Watch now for an expert panel discussion on how South Korea’s regulatory choices will shape its future as a global tech leader, and what the broader implications will be for its strategic positioning in the U.S.-China rivalry.

Nursing homes are notorious for worker shortages, which worsens the quality of care for patients and the work environment for employees. Japanese nursing homes have begun deploying robots to address these problems.

The United States and Japan must make a concerted effort to mutually advance their economic security and counter Chinese economic coercion, while bringing other allied nations aboard the enterprise to the greatest extent possible.

The ACCC should consider digital models beyond the EU's Digital Markets Act and Digital Services Act, such as those of the United States, Singapore, and Taiwan, which do not involve heavy-handed digital regulations that can stifle the very innovation Australia seeks to foster.

Global trade relies heavily on trust, and the Internet amplifies trust challenges due to distance, anonymity, and the vast scale of interactions. To address these challenges, APEC economies should focus on developing socio-technical solutions, like digital IDs and content provenance tools, to improve trust in the digital environment and ensure the safety and security of the digital economy.

Daniel Castro speaks on a panel at the Digital Trade Policy Dialogue. This panel was part of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation’s (APEC's) Third Senior Officials’ Meetings (SOM 3) in Lima, Peru.

The draft DTI Law presents a promising framework for advancing Vietnam's digital technology sector. While it offers valuable steps forward in areas such as data accessibility, AI regulation, and industry support, there are several aspects that could benefit from refinement.

A recent working paper found that social media sites such as YouTube and WhatsApp increase the dissemination of information to the Indonesian rice farmers who use them.