TikTok has officially pulled out of Hong Kong, but you can still use it if you try
- TikTok vanished from Hong Kong app stores following the new national security law that could require tech companies to hand over user data
- The app now blocks users based on a phone’s IP address and SIM card
True to its word, TikTok officially pulled out of Hong Kong on Thursday. The app has vanished from Google Play and Apple’s iOS App Store in the city. And it’s even blocking users in Hong Kong who already have the app installed.
TikTok announced earlier this week that it would be pulling out of Hong Kong over a sweeping new national security law imposed by Beijing on July 1. The law has raised questions about freedom of speech and privacy concerns since police in Hong Kong no longer need a warrant to request user data from internet companies. Companies could also be fined thousands of dollars if they don’t comply with content take-down requests.
The approach stands in contrast with with that of American tech giants. Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and Zoom all said they’re suspending data requests from police in Hong Kong while they continue to operate normally in the city.
TikTok’s move is also different from that of its sibling Douyin. That’s the mainland China-friendly version of TikTok that adheres to the government’s strict censorship standards and shares the same owner, Beijing-based ByteDance. While Douyin isn’t in Hong Kong app stores either, it continues to serve users in the city.
Elliott Zaagman, a consultant who writes about Chinese technology, suggests this is by design.