China security law prompts TikTok HK exit - Mobile World Live

China security law prompts TikTok HK exit

07 JUL 2020

TikTok announced it would remove the short form video service from Hong Kong app stores within days after China imposed a wide-ranging national security law on the territory, Reuters reported.

A company representative told the news agency the decision was taken “in light of recent events”. Reuters stated TikTok had 150,000 users in the territory at end-August 2019, with the operation not profitable.

It reported Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Google and Telegram are also reconsidering cooperating with requests for user data from the Hong Kong government, as they review the controversial new law.

Globally TikTok had been downloaded more than 2 billion times from the Apple App Store and Google Play by end-March, data from Sensor Tower showed.

The short form video app, owned by China’s most valuable start-up ByteDance, recently faced close inspection in the US over national security concerns, and an outright ban in India as part of a broader clampdown on Chinese apps.

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Joseph Waring

Joseph Waring joins Mobile World Live as the Asia editor for its new Asia channel. Before joining the GSMA, Joseph was group editor for Telecom Asia for more than ten years. In addition to writing features, news and blogs, he...

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