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30 Dec 2025

2025 Top 10

Understanding Bobby Saputra, Indonesia’s ‘Professional Son’

Brandon Tan Jun Wen

Bobby’s satirical skewering of nepotism and corruption strongly appeals to Southeast Asians, who share disillusionment and a desire to laugh at a system seen as unfair and ineffective.

29 Dec 2025

2025 Top 10

Artificial Intelligence is Intensifying South China Sea Disputes in the Philippines

Nuurrianti Jalli|Angel Martinez

AI-generated propaganda is being used to distort reality and disinform the public, even gathering support for military escalation in already troubled waters.

2025 Top 10 Artificial Intelligence China-Philippine Relations Philippine Philippine Politics Social Media South China Sea

11 Dec 2025

Malaysia’s Social Media Ban for Under-16s: Protection or Overreach?

Tricia Yeoh

Like some other countries, Malaysia intends to ban social media for children and youth under sixteen. However, this sledgehammer of a policy will likely fall short; there are other nuanced options to consider first.

Malaysia Social Media Youth

3 Dec 2025

Vietnam’s Police Are Joking Online and That Makes Their Messaging More Serious

Dien Nguyen An Luong

The unusual turn taken in a social media page run by a Vietnamese police anti-drug unit shows how controlling the conversation through humour can be a useful weapon.

Social Media Vietnam Vietnamese Politics

12 Nov 2025

When Digital Repression Backfires

Surachanee Sriyai

In seeking to shape the public information space, some governments have resorted to digital repression. But these instruments come with the danger of overreach.

Censorship Cyber Security Indonesia Myanmar Social Media Southeast Asia

24 Sep 2025

Vietnam’s Quest for Online Positivity Could Breed Negativity

Dien Nguyen An Luong

Hanoi’s efforts to enlist social media influencers to spread positive narratives risk hurting their credibility, encountering platform pushback, and ultimately backfiring at home and abroad.

Social Media Vietnam Vietnamese Politics

18 Sep 2025

How Vietnam Turns a Celebrity’s Misstep into a Cautionary Tale of Patriotism

Dien Nguyen An Luong

The coordinated pushback against a Vietnamese influencer who had lamented the passing of a cultural icon shows that the state values displays of patriotism, but only if such displays toe the party line.

Social Media Vietnam Vietnamese Politics

3 Sep 2025

From Principles to Protocols: Embedding Partnerships into Content Moderation Technologies Against Mis/Disinformation

Beltsazar Krisetya

Despite growing calls for collaboration, the technological core of content moderation remains largely a black box. While multi-stakeholder partnerships are increasingly invoked in regional policy discourse, external oversight or shared governance of the underlying moderation technologies remain limited.

Disinformation Media Misinformation Social Media Technology

21 Aug 2025

How TikTok’s Visual Politics Shaped Indonesia’s 2024 Election

Nuurrianti Jalli|Ika Ningtyas|Yearry Panji Setianto

Through TikTok, Prabowo Subianto successfully rebranded himself from being a controversial figure to being a relatable leader. TikTok’s emphasis on short-form entertaining content simplifies complex political issues into meme-worthy visuals. While this encourages engagement from younger audiences, it risks trivialising critical political discussions and reducing voters’ decision-making into emotional reactions.

Indonesia Indonesian Elections Indonesian Politics Social Media