Hong Kong residents will soon be deprived of the TikTok social network, which is very popular with young people, due to the recent national security law imposed by China, the company announced on Monday evening.

"In light of recent events, we have decided to stop the operations of the TikTok application in Hong Kong," a spokesman for AFP said.

The complete shutdown will take a few days, according to TikTok, which must communicate with its users and advertisers.

Facebook, Google and Twitter

For their part, Facebook, Google and Twitter confirmed on Monday July 6 that they were no longer responding to requests for information about their users from the Hong Kong government and authorities, out of respect for freedom of expression.

The four global platforms have said their teams are closely examining the controversial new law.

Hong Kong, a former British colony which was returned to China in 1997 on condition that certain freedoms are preserved, enjoys unlimited Internet access, unlike mainland China, where these three services are, for example, blocked.

But last week, the Chinese parliament passed Hong Kong's national security legislation, paving the way for radical change and a potential authoritarian turn.

In the viewfinder of the United States

TikTok, acclaimed by the youngest thanks to its videos with a light tone, especially around humor, dance and music, had 800 million users in January worldwide (according to DataReportal).

The platform has often had to defend itself from its links with China, where its parent company has a similar application, under another name.

She has always denied sharing data with the authorities and assured that she did not intend to accept such requests.

Not enough to convince US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who said Monday evening that the United States is considering banning Chinese social media applications, including TikTok.

With AFP

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