Hong Kong security police arrest Boom News founder, source says

Hong Kong national security police have arrested Tang Ho-wing, the founder of online media outlet Boom News, according to a source familiar with the matter. The source said Tang was apprehended at about 7am on Wednesday on suspicion of “incitement by spreading disinformation”. The supplied material does not state whether he has been charged or provide details of any court appearance.

Tang, 37, is a journalist who has also been known online as “Boom head” or Bobby. He previously worked with the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s student newspaper, Chinese University Student Press, and the news section of online forum HK Golden. He founded Boom News in 2020.

The outlet operates mainly through social media platforms and had around 66,000 Instagram followers on Wednesday morning. Boom News describes itself as supporting independent journalism. Its profile asks readers to support journalists and preserve what it calls the remaining space for press freedom.

The outlet accepts contributions through Patreon, PayPal, the Faster Payment System and other payment platforms, according to the supplied material. No statement from the police, Tang or Boom News is included in the source material. The circumstances of the arrest, the specific content cited by investigators and any next legal steps were not provided.

The arrest is therefore reported on the basis of the source familiar with the matter. Further details about the allegation and the legal process were not available in the supplied report.