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TikTok to cease operation in Hong Kong

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It comes as China imposes its new national security laws in Hong Kong.
TikTok has confirmed it will be exiting the Hong Kong market, following China’s enforcement of its new national security laws in the country.
« In light of recent events, we’ve decided to stop operations of the TikTok app in Hong Kong, » a TikTok spokesperson told ZDNet
The law, which came into effect last week, criminalises « secession, subversion, organization and perpetration of terrorist activities, and collusion with a foreign country ». Those found guilty under the law could face life imprisonment.
While TikTok did not confirm when exactly it will be exiting from the semi-autonomous market, a spokesperson originally told Reuters it would happen « within days ».
The Hong Kong market, however, is a small and non-profitable market for the viral video-sharing platform, which is owned by Beijing-based technology firm ByteDance.
Despite being a China-owned company, TikTok was designed so it could not be accessed by mainland China. Instead, ByteDance operates a similar platform called Douyin in China.
TikTok’s announcement comes hours after tech giants Facebook, Twitter, and Google decided to pause any requests by the Hong Kong government for user information.

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