Hong Kong bans video game for national security

The Hong Kong government has officially banned a mobile video game for the first time under a national security law. Bloomberg reports that the case was the first instance of the law being used against digital products that could threaten state order.

The banned mobile game, Reversed Front: Bonfire, was created by a group of Taiwanese programmers. It allows players to choose between Hong Kong, Taiwan, Tibet and China and take part in various conflicts in a virtual world. It is understood that the game promotes a virtual struggle against the communist regime, the idea of ​​overthrowing the government and scenarios of armed resistance.

An official statement issued by the Hong Kong police said that the game was considered “incitement and propaganda for armed resistance against the government.” It also said that measures had been taken to block any online content related to the game, and that citizens were discouraged from downloading it, as distributing or even installing the application could now be seen as separatism or subversion.

Meanwhile, Reversed Front: Bonfire has already been removed from the Hong Kong App Store and Google Play. It turns out that the game's creators have refused to comment on this. At the same time, a previous official statement about the removal of the project noted that Google did not have sufficient control over usernames containing hate speech.

After the adoption of the national security law in Hong Kong, control and restrictions on anti-state content have been further strengthened. This situation has further tightened restrictions on free speech in virtual reality, computer games, social networks and the media.

It is worth noting that this incident indicates the beginning of a new era in the region in terms of digital freedom and freedom of expression. This experience of Hong Kong may also cause other countries to reconsider the concepts of digital security and online surveillance.

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