As geopolitical tensions rise, Polymarket volumes spike. Markets on U.S. military action in Venezuela, Greenland, and Iran have drawn millions
https://restofworld.org/2026/polymarket-online-betting-politics-war-charts/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky
Why are Chinese EVs cheaper than Tesla?
https://restofworld.org/2026/why-are-chinese-evs-cheaper-than-tesla/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social&utm_content=1772848920
India once sought technological autonomy. A new book argues its strategy has instead entrenched reliance on global tech firms https://restofworld.org/2026/dwaipayan-banerjee-india-technology-book/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social&utm_content=1772836801
Families split between Iran and the diaspora have relied on fragile ways to stay in touch — letters, expensive phone calls, VPNs. Now communication blackouts are making those connections even more uncertain https://restofworld.org/2026/iran-internet-shutdown-diaspora-family/?utm_campaign=row-social
There are questions around how these bans will be imposed, with experts warning that young users will resort to VPNs or fake IDs. Age verification software that platforms are using has raised privacy concerns.
Neighboring Malaysia has also said it is considering a ban on social media platforms for young users. Some Indian states are also implementing such bans.
Indonesia has clashed with social media companies frequently on inappropriate content, raising concerns about censorship.
Indonesian authorities said the restrictions are necessary to prevent social media “addiction.”
The ban will affect platforms including Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, X and Roblox. The country is among the biggest markets in the world for these sites, with about 175 million users on Facebook and nearly 160 million on TikTok, its biggest market.
Indonesia plans to restrict social media access for users younger than 16 years starting March 28, the first non-Western country to do so
Major companies including Intel, Qualcomm, and Samsung are already investing in factories, research centers, and training programs in Vietnam, positioning the country as a strategic alternative to China https://restofworld.org/2026/vietnam-us-chip-industry-china/?utm_campaign=row-social
"Already, seven in 10 social media images are AI-generated using tools like Midjourney or DALL-E, and eight in 10 content recommendations rely on AI. Nearly half of all social media content by businesses will be AI-generated in 2026. Meanwhile, AI tools are leaving behind non-English speakers."
“To build something like this from the jungle, as outsiders who were never part of the political establishment, feels like a miracle.” https://restofworld.org/2026/ai-avatar-colombia-political-candidate/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social
As former safety staff at OpenAI and Anthropic speak out, a nonprofit called Psst is building tools to help AI workers raise concerns confidentially https://restofworld.org/2026/ai-whistleblower-psst-mary-inman/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social
Oil has war contingency plans, but AI infrastructure doesn’t. As conflict shuts the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, the cables powering the Gulf’s AI boom are trapped between two choke points https://restofworld.org/2026/us-iran-war-gulf-ai-submarine-cables/?utm_campaign=row-social
Meta’s Oversight Board has overturned moderation decisions in cases from Kenya, Pakistan, and beyond
Algorithms often miss language or political context; now, AI-generated content is multiplying those challenges https://restofworld.org/2026/mmeta-oversight-board-challenges/?utm_campaign=row-social
From Kenya to South Asia, Meta’s Oversight Board often overturns takedowns where algorithms misread language or political context. But now, AI-generated content is flooding the system https://restofworld.org/2026/mmeta-oversight-board-challenges/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky
Washington’s move to lift export controls could turn Vietnam from a chip assembly hub into a manufacturing partner — and a strategic alternative to China https://restofworld.org/2026/vietnam-us-chip-industry-china/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social
As AI becomes critical to national economies, cloud infrastructure becomes a wartime target. Drone strikes on Amazon sites in the Gulf may force the industry to rethink where it builds https://restofworld.org/2026/iran-amazon-data-center-strikes/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky
"If a candidate is obese or has asthma, the officer can refuse their visa."
An immigration lawyer on what the H-1B process actually looks like in 2026: https://restofworld.org/2026/get-h-1b-visa-trump-america/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social
Read our story on the growing pushback to data centers worldwide:
restofworld.org/2025/ai-data...
In some of these countries, data centers are being set up in areas with inadequate reserves of water and power, forcing residents to contend with reduced supply as local governments prioritize data center investments.
There is growing resistance to the power and water use of data centers, not just in the U.S., but in countries including Chile, Brazil, Mexico and India.
Under the agreement, the companies will negotiate separate rate structures with utility companies and state governments. The companies also agreed to build or buy new power generation resources required for data centers, so that their demands don’t strain the energy grid.
The agreement, called the Ratepayer Protection Pledge, is aimed at quelling growing criticism that the massive consumption of power by data centers is driving up costs for homes and small businesses.
Read the pledge here:
www.whitehouse.gov/articles/202...
Big tech companies including Meta, Amazon, OpenAI, Google and Microsoft have committed to cover the cost of all electricity generated to power their AI data centers in the U.S.
Seven in 10 social media images are now AI-generated. That surge is testing whether Meta’s Oversight Board can still function as the “supreme court” of content moderation https://restofworld.org/2026/mmeta-oversight-board-challenges/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky
Silicon Valley draws on India’s talent and sells back its products — and a new book argues that this dynamic reflects a deeper failure of India’s sovereignty project https://restofworld.org/2026/dwaipayan-banerjee-india-technology-book/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky
“I used a fake ID of Stalin and it got accepted”
More countries are pushing social media platforms to conduct age verifications, but the methods are far from foolproof
https://restofworld.org/2026/social-media-age-verification-tools/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky
Gig workers in Africa helped train AI systems for a company that performed work for a secretive U.S. military unit. Many were never told their work could be used for military purposes https://restofworld.org/2026/gig-workers-us-military-appen/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky
As geopolitical tensions rise, Polymarket volumes spike. Markets on U.S. military action in Venezuela, Greenland, and Iran have drawn millions
https://restofworld.org/2026/polymarket-online-betting-politics-war-charts/?utm_campaign=row-social&utm_source=bluesky
