24th December 2025 – (Hong Kong) Many Hongkongers rely on WeChat for work, daily life and family communication — but stricter rules taking effect on 1st January 2026 mean users should exercise caution. China’s revised Public Security Administration Punishments Law tightens provisions on the dissemination of obscene material, removing any ambiguity around private messaging.
Under previous interpretations, administrative penalties largely targeted conduct on public platforms, large groups or content with broad reach, with private chats viewed as harder to define. The updated law makes clear that distributing obscene content via the internet, instant messaging apps or other communication tools — whether publicly or in private — falls within its scope.
In practice, sending explicit photos or videos one‑to‑one on WeChat, or sharing such material in small private groups, may be deemed “dissemination” and constitute a violation.
For more serious cases, penalties include administrative detention of 10 to 15 days and a fine of up to 5,000 yuan. Lesser offences may incur detention of up to five days or fines of several thousand yuan. Notably, financial gain is no longer a prerequisite for punishment: even non‑commercial, private sharing may attract sanctions if the facts are established.
Where minors are involved, penalties will be substantially increased, aligning with child protection laws. Forwarding, storing or assisting in the spread of such content could trigger more severe legal consequences, reflecting a zero‑tolerance stance.
