Members of Hong Kong’s tech industry call for Telegram to discuss doxxing law compliance with authorities

Industry figures in Hong Kong’s technology sector have said Telegram should discuss compliance measures regarding the city’s doxxing legalisation with the government, with one supporting authorities taking action against the messaging platform if it had violated the law.

The push on Thursday to clamp down on doxxing came as an administrator of a channel on the app was sentenced to six and a half years in jail after he was convicted of conspiring to incite others to riot from October 2019 to June 2020.

During Hong Kong’s social unrest in 2019, Telegram became a popular messaging platform for protesters, with discussions including the use of bombs against law enforcement. It was also used to share the personal information of officials, legislators, policemen and judges – prompting authorities to update the city’s privacy law last October.

A day earlier, a source confirmed that the city’s privacy watchdog is considering blocking the public’s access to the messaging app because of its use in unrestrained acts of doxxing.

Asked if authorities should give the messaging app a final warning, technology sector lawmaker Duncan Chiu on Thursday suggested Telegram enter into talks with government officials if it was struggling to comply with the anti-doxxing law.

“It has to handle the issue sooner or later … If it needs time, such as several months, to deal with the problem, it needs to let the government know,” he said.

Eric Yeung Chuen-sing, an honorary president of the Smart City Consortium, said he would support authorities taking action against Telegram if it was found to have violated the law.