The Hong Kong government has prohibited the majority of civil servants from accessing widely used applications such as WhatsApp, WeChat, and Google Drive on their work computers, highlighting concerns over possible security risks.This decision has frustrated many civil servants who find the new IT security guidelines inconvenient. However, employees can still use these applications on personal devices during work hours and may request exceptions with management approval.

IT experts note that such policies are becoming common among businesses facing increasing data leak and cybersecurity threats. Sun Dong, the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, emphasized the necessity of the ban due to rising hacking incidents and referenced similar measures in the United States and China.

A civil servant, speaking anonymously, highlighted the challenges this ban poses, particularly as her office relies on cloud storage to share large files with external vendors. The government clarified that the policy aims to prevent harmful links and attachments from bypassing security protocols via encrypted messages. It encouraged departments to consider alternatives, like designating specific computers for these applications while keeping them disconnected from internal networks.

Experts have mixed views on the government's comprehensive approach. Francis Fong, from the Hong Kong Information Technology Federation, sees merit in the policy for mitigating cybersecurity risks. In contrast, Anthony Lai of VX Research Limited justified the measures due to low cybersecurity awareness among employees and weak internal monitoring systems. This initiative comes in light of recent data breaches within government departments that compromised the personal information of tens of thousands, intensifying security concerns.