Hong Kong civil service restrictions on WhatsApp, WeChat won’t affect operations, minister says
Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung adds government employees have been given ample time to adapt to alternatives
Hong Kong’s head of civil service has said a ban on WhatsApp, WeChat and Google Drive on government work computers will not have a “long-term or severe impact” on operations and employees have had ample time to adapt to the alternatives.
Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan on Thursday defended the government’s effort to tighten cybersecurity, citing “severe internet safety risks”.
Authorities earlier said they expected the ban would be fully in place by this month.
“For some, they may be using these software platforms to communicate with members of the public, so they may need to come up with alternative technological methods,” she told a radio programme.
“But overall, various departments have had enough time to find solutions, so I don’t see there will be a long-term or severe impact.”
Yeung acknowledged that different departments might face unique challenges in adapting to the changes. “But that is just an adaptation issue,” she said.
The civil service employed about 173,100 people, or about 4.6 per cent of Hong Kong’s labour force, as of this March.
