Explainer: Why is TikTok blocked in Hong Kong?

Hong Kong Free Press

The US House of Representatives has approved a bill that would force TikTok’s owner to sever ties with its Chinese parent company ByteDance or face a ban there. US President Joe Biden says he will sign it into law if senators approve it, amid concerns about Beijing’s influence over the hugely popular app and its access to data on American users.

China – which bans TikTok and most western social media platforms domestically – said on Thursday that it “will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard its legitimate rights and interests,” in light of the US legislative moves. The app is owned by China’s ByteDance.

Hong Kong may already offer a glimpse of what a TikTok ban would look like. Since July 2020, those seeking to access a clip on the short-form video social media site are greeted with a message saying: “We regret to inform you that we have discontinued operating TikTok in Hong Kong. Thank you for the time you have spent with us on the platform and for giving us the opportunity to bring a little bit of joy into your life.”

The domain name itself redirects to the corporate website, leaving Hongkongers to rely on other social platforms such as YouTube and Instagram.

Why is TikTok banned in Hong Kong?

“In light of recent events, we’ve decided to stop operations of the TikTok app in Hong Kong,” a statement from the company read on July 6, 2020 read, just days after the Beijing-imposed national security law was enacted in the city.

tik tok ban hong kong — “We regret to inform you that we have discontinued operating TikTok in Hong Kong,” a notice on tiktok.com states. Photo: HKFP screenshot.

The firm’s operations in the city were wound down in the days that followed.

Whilst TikTok did not give an explicit reason for pulling out, the security law empowered police to demand the removal of online content if there were “reasonable grounds” to suspect it breaches the national security law. Police may require service providers to also provide relevant identification records or decryption assistance, on pain of a fine of up to HK$100,000 and six months behind bars.

In response, most western tech firms suspended their compliance with data requests under the security law. Tech giants Google, Facebook and WhatsApp, Twitter – now X, Telegram, Zoom and Microsoft’s LinkedIn were among those which halted data requests.

File photo: Tom Grundy/HKFP.

A Google spokesperson said at the time: “We believe freedom of expression is a fundamental human right and support the right of people to express themselves without fear for their safety or other repercussions.” A Twitter spokesperson said it “cares and is committed to protecting the people using our service and their freedom of expression.”

When asked by HKFP last month if the policy of non-cooperation would extend to the homegrown security law, Article 23 – set to be enacted this year – Meta, Google, X and Microsoft failed to respond.

The 2020 security law was pushed through – without legislative oversight – following a year of pro-democracy protests and unrest. It criminalised subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts – broadly defined to include disruption to transport and other infrastructure.

The move gave police sweeping new powers and led to hundreds of arrests amid new legal precedents, while dozens of civil society groups disappeared. The authorities say it restored stability and peace to the city, rejecting criticism from trade partners, the UN and NGOs.

TikTok’s owner ByteDance has repeatedly denied sharing any user information with Beijing. However, China’s national security law obliges Chinese firms to cooperate with the authorities when data is requested.

ByteDance is based in Beijing, but has offices in Europe and the US and is officially registered in the Cayman Islands.

Can users access TikTok in Hong Kong?

TikTok – estimated to have around a billion users worldwide – blocks Hong Kong users via their phone’s IP address and SIM card. Users can still gain access by removing their local SIM card and enabling VPN circumvention tools.

The mainland Chinese version of the app, Douyin, remains available.