Prohibited Content

This page describes content that is prohibited from being posted on the Okno v Miry platform in accordance with the legislation of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The restrictions apply to all materials: works and chapters, audiobooks, comics, covers and illustrations, blog posts, comments, reviews, personal messages, and advertising materials.

1. How Hong Kong law defines obscenity

The primary document is the Control of Obscene and Indecent Articles Ordinance (Cap. 390). It divides materials into three categories:

- Category I — neither obscene nor indecent. These may be published freely, without age restrictions.

- Category II — indecent. These may only be published for users aged 18 and over, with mandatory labeling and the prohibition of access by minors.

- Category III — obscene. Publication is prohibited for everyone, regardless of age or labeling.

Disputed materials are classified by the Obscene Articles Tribunal under the Department of Justice of Hong Kong. For books, the benchmarks include descriptions of sexual acts in physiological detail, the display of sexual organs, as well as the combination of sex and violence.

Liability: publication of obscene material — up to 3 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to 1,000,000 Hong Kong dollars; publication of indecent material to a person under the age of 18 — up to 1 year of imprisonment and a fine of up to 400,000 Hong Kong dollars.

2. Content that is completely prohibited

- Sexual content involving minors — including drawings, comics, and "cartoon" images, characters under the age of 18 in sexual scenes, and texts describing such acts. Crimes Ordinance (Cap. 200). This is a serious crime: the material is removed without warning, the account is blocked indefinitely, and the information is handed over to the Police of Hong Kong.

- Any sexualization of minors: presenting adult-child relationships as the norm, the romanticization of pedophilia, and calls to lower the age of consent.

- Calls for violence, terrorism, and mass murder, instructions for the manufacture of weapons, explosives, and poisons — Crimes Ordinance (Cap. 200), Firearms and Ammunition Ordinance (Cap. 238), Dangerous Goods Ordinance (Cap. 295).

- Threats to national security: calls for secession, subversion of state power, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces — Hong Kong National Security Law (2020).

- Incitement to violence and hatred on the basis of race, nationality, religion, gender, or sexual orientation, justification of genocide, denial of terrorist acts — Crimes Ordinance (Cap. 200), Race Discrimination Ordinance (Cap. 602).

- Promotion of drugs: descriptions of "pleasant" effects, instructions for manufacture or use, advertising of prohibited substances — Dangerous Drugs Ordinance (Cap. 134).

- Illegal gambling: advertising of bookmakers and online casinos without a license, schemes, and "guaranteed win strategies" — Gambling Ordinance (Cap. 148).

- Pirated content: links to resources with pirated copies of books, films, and music, instructions for bypassing protection, and calls to download illegally — Copyright Ordinance (Cap. 528) and Prevention of Copyright Piracy Ordinance (Cap. 544).

- Prostitution and sexual services: procurement, advertising of intimate services, and organization of meetings for remuneration — Crimes Ordinance (Cap. 200).

- Human trafficking, slavery, and forced labor, and the promotion of such practices — Crimes Ordinance (Cap. 200).

- Terrorist financing and money laundering, "get rich quick" schemes, financial pyramids — Anti-Terrorism Ordinance (Cap. 575), Theft Ordinance (Cap. 210).

- Personal data of real people without their consent: addresses, telephone numbers, document numbers, place of work, screenshots of private correspondence, and calls for the harassment of a specific person — Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486). Since 2021, doxxing in Hong Kong has been a criminal offense.

- Cruelty to animals, including videos and detailed descriptions of abuse — Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance (Cap. 169).

- Defamation of real people: false statements of fact that degrade a person's honor may become grounds for a civil lawsuit — Defamation Ordinance (Cap. 21).

3. Content that the platform does not publish according to its own rules

Formally, it is not always prohibited by law, but its posting on Okno v Miry is not permitted:

- links to third-party literary platforms, pirate sites, and torrent trackers;

- materials of a political, nationalistic, esoteric, and religious nature, and discussion of highly sensitive social topics;

- content that incites conflict between users, bullying, and targeted harassment;

- promotion of organizations and movements prohibited in Hong Kong;

- advertising of goods and services prohibited for circulation (gray schemes, prescription-only medicines, sale of alcohol and tobacco to minors);

- sending unsolicited advertising messages and spam — Unsolicited Electronic Messages Ordinance (Cap. 593);

- instructions for bypassing account blocks, ignore lists, and moderation systems.

4. 18+ Labeling

The "18+" status is mandatory if the work contains:

- detailed descriptions of sexual acts;

- scenes of sexual violence or coercion;

- explicit language and physiological details;

- a combination of erotica with violence, torture, and dismemberment;

- use of prohibited substances in a positive light;

- intense scenes of violence with naturalistic details.

The label must be set in the work's settings before publication. Material that is legally classified as obscene (Category III) will not be published under any labeling.

The 18+ label is not a formality: access by minors to indecent materials in Hong Kong is punishable separately.

5. What happens in the event of a violation

- A moderator hides or deletes the publication immediately, without prior discussion with the author.

- The author receives a notification indicating the violation and, if necessary, a requirement to correct the text.

- Repeat violations, bypassing blocks, and rating manipulation lead to an indefinite account block.

- Materials regarding child sexual abuse, terrorism, and threats to life are handed over to the Police of Hong Kong along with account data.

- In the event of a dispute regarding classification, the material may be submitted to the Obscene Articles Tribunal (Cap. 390).

6. How to report a violation

If you have found prohibited content, click "Report" or write via the form in the "Feedback" section. Include a link to the work or comment and the nature of the issue. The anonymity of the reporter is preserved. Every report is reviewed; publications are not deleted for constructive criticism.

7. Author responsibility

By posting material, the author confirms that they possess the rights to the text and illustrations, that the material does not violate the rights of third parties, and that it does not fall into any of the categories described above. Responsibility for the content of the publication, including claims under the Copyright Ordinance (Cap. 528), the Defamation Ordinance (Cap. 21), and the Crimes Ordinance (Cap. 200), lies with the author.

This page is for informational purposes and reflects the requirements of Hong Kong legislation as of the date of the last update.