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South China Morning Post
24 minutes ago
- South China Morning Post
Pogos in Pakistan? Scheme to traffic Filipinos shows ‘evolution' of scam operations
A scheme to traffic Filipinos into Pakistan to work for gaming firms formerly based in the Philippines has exposed the latest evolution of online scam networks linked to the controversial Pogo industry, immigration officials and analysts warn. The case – the first known incident involving Filipinos being trafficked to Pakistan – suggests that criminal syndicates previously operating under Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (Pogo) licences are shifting to new jurisdictions following a government crackdown on the sector. On July 6, four Filipinos bound for Hong Kong were intercepted at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport after immigration officers found discrepancies in their statements. Investigators later discovered that their real destination was Pakistan – and that one of them, a former Pogo worker, had been recruited by a Chinese ex-employer who had relocated operations after President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr ordered a nationwide Pogo shutdown last year. In October, the Marcos administration ordered foreign Pogo workers in the country to voluntarily downgrade their visas before 2025 or face deportation. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr last year ordered a nationwide Pogo shutdown. Photo: AP The four Filipinos intercepted at the airport last week were the 'first confirmed case involving Pakistan', Melvin Mabulac, the Bureau of Immigration's deputy spokesman, confirmed in a television interview with ABS-CBN News last week.
South China Morning Post
2 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Deepfake porn case in Hong Kong highlights need for vigilance on legal front
The growing use of artificial intelligence across different fields has created as many threats as benefits, raising questions over whether the technology should be more closely regulated. Even though the authorities in Hong Kong argue that online actions are generally covered by legislation enacted to address crimes in the physical world, there have been calls for wider reforms whenever something goes wrong. In the latest controversy , a law student of the University of Hong Kong was found to have fabricated pornographic images of dozens of classmates and other women using free online AI software. The more than 700 images were reportedly organised into folders named after the victims and stored on the student's personal laptop, where they were discovered by a friend of the student in mid-February. The case only came to light on Saturday after three alleged victims put up a social media post questioning whether the university had done enough to hold the student accountable. The institution responded that the student in question had received a warning letter and was asked to issue a formal apology to the affected classmates, adding that it would further review the case and take action when appropriate to ensure 'a safe and respectful learning environment'. The incident has raised concerns not just because it was apparently handled in a lenient way but also because of questions over the adequacy of AI regulations, with some lawmakers and advocacy groups calling for a ban on deepfake pornography . South Korea passed a law last September making possessing and viewing deepfake porn punishable by up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won (US$21,740). The maximum prison sentence for creating and distributing non-consensual deepfake explicit images was also increased from five to seven years. Hong Kong does not have specific laws regulating AI. But the new technology does not fall outside the law. Officials say most legislations designed to prevent crimes in the physical world are in principle also applicable to the cyber world. The Crimes Ordinance was amended in 2021 to introduce offences related to the publication or threatened publication of intimate images without consent. These offences are also applicable to images altered by AI technology to depict an intimate body part or an intimate act of an individual, according to the government. Separately, various authorities have issued guidelines to promote responsible use of AI in different fields. The rapid uptake of new technologies has left no room for complacency when it comes to regulation. The authorities must keep a constant and close watch on whether the existing laws can effectively deal with adverse consequences.
South China Morning Post
3 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
‘Comrade' is no longer in fashion in China, but some people still want to bring it back
A recent opinion piece in the People's Daily, the mouthpiece of the Communist Party, argued that China should bring back the term 'comrade' (tongzhi) as the common form of address among Chinese people. It is an interesting proposal, as the term's political and cultural implications are largely out of touch with Chinese society. Advertisement While comrade is a formal form of address inside the Communist Party, its use is limited to official settings. It is used as a suffix to full names in documents, such as letters of appointment and eulogies. In notices related to investigations, use of the term could be seen as an indication of the seriousness of the allegations. For instance, China's former foreign minister Qin Gang was addressed as a comrade in the last official document mentioning him, implying that Qin had retained his party membership. In day-to-day conversations, comrade is still used to address a young clerk in a government office, or a policeman on the street, but it sounds old-fashioned and is usually not the best choice. Comrade used without a full name is the equivalent of a bland 'hello' to someone who doesn't look important in the government. It would be safer to call a government official 'leader' (lingdao) if they carry certain authority, but it becomes easier if their name and title are known. The standard would then be the family name plus title. 'Director Wang' would be much more acceptable than 'comrade Wang'. Chinese President Xi Jinping extends Spring Festival greetings to residents in north China's Tianjin municipality, February 1, 2024. Photo: Xinhua Outside the government, comrade is sometimes used to refer to a homosexual male – 'he is a tongzhi' means 'he is gay'. The original meaning of comrade, which means 'people share the same will', as well as its implied values of equality and solidarity, has lost its relevance amid the wealth gap and social divides. How could an employer address a soon-to-be-sacked employee as a comrade, and wouldn't it be ridiculous to call Chinese tycoons comrades when their net personal wealth was in the billions of dollars? Advertisement
