Hong Kong police say new hotline for reporting protest violence is still working, but Line users face wait after friend requests are denied
- Force turns to mobile app for intelligence gathering operation after WhatsApp failure
- But app struggles to handle number of people trying to connect with officers
Users of a new police hotline for the public to report protest-related violence might experience a delay the force said on Wednesday, but dismissed suggestions its Line account had collapsed.
There were complaints the police’s new multi-platform reporting hotline, set up to deal with an “escalating level of violence”, was not functioning properly, and some users said they could not join the mobile app group on just its second day of operation.
It is the second time the force has created a hotline to help with the reporting of protest-related violence, after its first attempt failed when the social media company WhatsApp said it had violated its service terms and suspended the force’s account last month.
Police hope to use the new platform, which allows members of the public to file reports through text message, WeChat and Line messaging, to gather intelligence about violent incidents, such as photos, recordings and videos.
But online users complained they could not add the force on Line as a friend, and received a message that said: “The account you are trying to add has reached its maximum friend limit.” That prompted concerns over whether the official account was down once again.
According to the app’s Japanese developer, a personal account can accommodate up to 5,000 friends.
A senior police insider with knowledge of the situation said the instant communication app would run a little slow, as a vast number of callers were trying to add the force as friend at the same time.
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“Our account is not dead. It is still active,” the source said. “Users might need to try again, or wait for roughly a minute before they can successfully add us.”
The force opened another Line account in the evening to enhance the call reception capacity, the insider added.
The Post has been told the force received nearly 20,000 messages containing constructive information after opening its WeChat account – a Chinese multipurpose messaging, social media and mobile payment app.
The force first set up anti-violence hotlines on WhatsApp to assist in the prevention and detection of crime during the civil unrest. But all 10 hotlines were suspended just three days after the service’s official launch, with the social media firm citing the fact the app was intended for private messaging only.
Hong Kong has experienced 18 consecutive weeks of increasingly violent protests, triggered by the now-shelved extradition bill, nearly all including clashes between masked, black-clad crowds and police.
The more radical among the protesters have blocked roads, set off fires, hurled petrol bombs, destroyed MTR stations, and vandalised banks and restaurants believed to have links to Beijing.
As of Tuesday, 2,363 people have been arrested since the start of the unrest on June 9, with about half over the past month alone. Those arrested include 77 suspected of breaking the law banning masks, which came into force last Saturday.
Here are the numbers for the police hotline:
Phone no: +852 5333 3103
WeChat ID: HKPF53333103
Line ID: hkpf53333103 or @hkpf53333103
