Nat. security police reportedly arrest independent journalist over ‘fake news’

Hong Kong’s national security police have reportedly arrested an independent journalist behind an online news outlet on suspicion of publishing fake news.

According to a report by Sing Tao Headline on Wednesday, the National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force carried out the arrest of journalist Tang Ho-wing, who runs the online news outlet Boom News, at 7am that morning.

Tang, under the moniker “Boomhead,” runs pages for the news outlet on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, as well as YouTube.

HKFP’s calls to the journalist’s phone number went straight to voicemail.

Sing Tao was apparently the only news outlet at the scene of the arrest.

The report cited sources as saying that Tang was arrested on suspicion of disseminating false information, a story later reported by other local news outlets including HK01 and i-Cable.

The wording in the Chinese-language reports suggests that he was arrested for spreading false information either for the purpose of incitement or sedition.

HKFP has reached out to the police for confirmation.

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