Hong Kong authorities allege a mobile gaming application encourages armed insurrection.
Hong Kong cops slam mobile game suspected of fanning secessionist flames
In a striking move, Hong Kong police have branded a popular mobile game as a sedition-oriented app that advocates armed revolution, secessionist agendas, and the overthrow of the Chinese government. This is the first time authorities have publicly denounced a gaming app as part of a broadening crackdown following the 2019 anti-government protests.
According to the police statement, those who download and install the game "Reversed Front: Bonfire" may be seen as possessing a seditious intention. They also issued a warning against providing financial assistance to the developers, such as in-app purchases.
However, the developers of the game, ESC Taiwan, have not responded to requests for comment. On the application’s Facebook page, the developer posted about surging searches for the game name and a news report about the latest developments.
As per the game's introduction, players can choose to play as various factions, including Hong Kong, Tibet, Uyghur, Taiwan, or the Cathaysian Rebel factions to overthrow the communist regime. The app’s website declares it as nonfiction, suggesting similarity to actual agencies, policies, or ethnic groups of the People's Republic of China.
Meanwhile, Apple, Google, and Meta have yet to comment on the situation. Initially available on Apple's App Store, the game could not be found on Wednesday morning. The game publisher mentioned last month that Google Play had removed the app due to allowing users to adopt hateful language in character names.
Critics and players argue that the Hong Kong police's actions signify an erosion of creative freedom in gaming, as their actions demonstrate the Chinese Communist Party's attempts to control and limit any form of potential dissent in the city [1][2].
China regards Taiwan as its own territory and has threatened to bring it under control by force if necessary. Concerned Taiwanese living in the self-ruled island have expressed growing fears over Hong Kong's declining freedoms under Beijing's control.
In response, authorities insist that the national security laws were necessary to restore stability to the city after the protests.
- The denunciation of the mobile game "Reversed Front: Bonfire" by Hong Kong police as a sedition-oriented app falls under the category of policy-and-legislation and politics, as it involves the regulation of gaming content and reflects broader issues related to China's governing structure.
- The criminalization of a mobile game advocating secessionist agendas, such as "Reversed Front: Bonfire," falls under the scope of crime-and-justice and general-news, as it deals with the consequences of expressing dissent and the subsequent crackdown on perceived foes by the authorities.
