The wildly popular video-sharing app TikTok will no longer work in Hong Kong, its makers said, after a new security law imposed by China gave authorities sweeping powers to police local users.
The new security law has sparked fears for freedom of expression, and internet giants Google, Facebook and Twitter have put a hold on requests for user data from Hong Kong authorities since it came into force.
In light of recent events, we’ve decided to stop operations of the TikTok app in Hong Kong,” the Chinese-owned firm said in a statement on Monday, becoming the first major social media platform to exit the city since the law was imposed last week.
The company expects to wind down operations in Hong Kong in a matter of days.
TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, had already been in the spotlight over how it collects and uses data, but has repeatedly denied sharing any user information.
India banned TikTok over national security concerns following a deadly border clash between its soldiers and Chinese forces.
And US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said Washington is also looking at banning Chinese social media apps including TikTok over allegations that they are being used to spy on users.
Despite its ownership, TikTok is not available in mainland China, where ByteDance offers a variant called Douyin.
What are your thoughts?
Let us know in the comments below!