TikTok confirms to quit Hong Kong market
By MYBRANDBOOK
TikTok is all set to withdraw itself from Hong Kong app stores and Zoom will stop complying with city authorities’ data requests as technology companies react to the sweeping new national security laws imposed on the city by Beijing.
Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, Google and Telegram have already said they are “pausing” cooperation with requests for user information, putting pressure on Apple, which says it is “assessing” the new law, to do the same.
TikTok, a video-sharing social-networking platform owned by the China-based ByteDance, has consistently denied sharing any user data with the Beijing authorities, and was adamant that it did not intend to agree to such requests. The company expected to take several days to wind down its app operations in Hong Kong.
Despite its ownership, TikTok has never been available in China. Instead, ByteDance operates a more heavily censored version of the platform under the name Douyin. A TikTok spokesperson said the company had no plans to launch Douyin in Hong Kong.
TikTok’s decision, which a spokesperson said was made “in light of recent events”, came after the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, said the US was “certainly looking at” banning Chinese social media apps including TikTok.
WhatsApp, Facebook and Telegram said they had halted cooperation with data requests from Hong Kong authorities pending human rights reviews.
Google announced a freeze on cooperation later that day, Microsoft confirmed it too “was pausing our responses to these requests as we conduct our review”.
Hours after TikTok’s announcement, the video-conferencing platform Zoom told Hong Kong Free Press it would also stop complying with data requests. A spokesman for Zoom said the company “supports the free and open exchange of thoughts and ideas”.
Legal Battle Over IT Act Intensifies Amid Musk’s India Plans
The outcome of the legal dispute between X Corp and the Indian government c...
Wipro inks 10-year deal with Phoenix Group's ReAssure UK worth
The agreement, executed through Wipro and its 100% subsidiary,...
Centre announces that DPDP Rules nearing Finalisation by April
The government seeks to refine the rules for robust data protection, ensuri...
Home Ministry cracks down on PoS agents in digital arrest scam
Digital arrest scams are a growing cybercrime where victims are coerced or ...
Icons Of India : Anil Agarwal
Anil Agarwal, the Founder and Chairman of Vedanta Resources Ltd., is r...
Icons Of India : Daisy Chittilapilly
Daisy Chittilapilly is the President of Cisco’s India and SAARC regi...
ICONS OF INDIA : ROSHNI NADAR MALHOTRA
Roshni Nadar Malhotra is the Chairperson of HCLTech, a leading global ...
UIDAI - Unique Identification Authority of India
UIDAI and the Aadhaar system represent a significant milestone in Indi...
GeM - Government e Marketplace
GeM is to facilitate the procurement of goods and services by various ...
NIC - National Informatics Centre
NIC serves as the primary IT solutions provider for the government of ...
Indian Tech Talent Excelling The Tech World - Vinod Dham, Founder & Executive Managing Partner, IndoUS Venture Partners
Vinod Dham, known as the “Father of the Pentium Chip,” has left an...
Indian Tech Talent Excelling The Tech World - ARVIND KRISHNA, CEO – IBM
Arvind Krishna, an Indian-American business executive, serves as the C...
Indian Tech Talent Excelling The Tech World - AJAY BANGA, President - World Bank
Ajay Banga is an Indian-born American business executive who currently...