TikTok to exit Hong Kong market within days amid security law

TikTok has decided to quit the Hong Kong market as China imposes the controversial Hong Kong security law.

A spokesperson reported to the international news agency, “In light of recent events, we’ve decided to stop operations of the TikTok app in Hong Kong.”

They will close the market and will leave within days.

Video-sharing app TikTok has said in the past that its user data is not stored in China.

It has earlier said that it would not consider any request from the Chinese government to censor content or give assess to its users’ data. It said that it has never been asked to do so.

China’s new security law has raised concerns about people’s privacy.

Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam defended the security law, saying it was not “doom and gloom” for the city.

She said that Hong Kong’s status as one of the safest cities in the world would be restored after pro-democracy protests last year often turned violent.

“Compared with the national security laws of other countries, it is a rather mild law. Its scope is not as broad as that in other countries and even China,”

Popular technology companies Facebook, WhatsApp, Google, Twitter, and Telegram are all set to  “pause” co-operation when Hong Kong police request for the users’ information.

China has been facing immense criticism by several countries for enforcing the controversial security law, they say it has violated Hong Kong’s autonomy.

Apple is likely to be under pressure to do the same. Services of other technology companies, except for Apple, are blocked in China.