Notice and takedown policy

Local Hong Kong publishes business listings compiled from public sources, content submitted by owners, reviews reproduced from Google Maps and our own guides. This policy explains what you can report, how, what we do with a report and how fast, and how to answer a report about content you posted. It takes account of the Copyright Ordinance (Cap. 528), the Defamation Ordinance (Cap. 21) and the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486).

Effective 14 October 2026.

1. What this policy covers

All content on the site (“content”): business listings and their descriptions, opening hours and contact details, photos, reviews shown on listing pages, category and place pages, keyword pages, blog posts, comments and user profiles. Reviews reflect their authors’ opinions; we do not verify every statement in them and do not adopt them as our own.

2. What can be reported

2.1 Wrong or outdated information

A business that has closed, moved or changed its name, hours or phone number; a duplicate; a listing in the wrong category or place. This is the most common report and the quickest to fix.

2.2 Content that may be unlawful

• Copyright and other intellectual property: a photo, text or logo used without permission (Copyright Ordinance, Cap. 528; trade marks);
• Defamation: a false statement of fact that damages the reputation of a person or a business (Defamation Ordinance, Cap. 21, and the common law);
• Personal data: personal data published without a proper basis, such as a private mobile number, a home address or a photo of an identifiable person, or a disclosure of personal data without consent that could cause harm to the person concerned (Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance, Cap. 486);
• Misleading trade descriptions: false claims about goods, services, prices or qualifications (Trade Descriptions Ordinance, Cap. 362);
• content that harms children, incites violence or is obscene, or is otherwise prohibited by the laws of Hong Kong.

2.3 Content that breaks our rules

• Abuse: threats, harassment or personal attacks on owners, staff or readers. Negative opinions are allowed; attacks on people are not;
• Fake or manipulated content: listings for businesses that do not exist, keyword-stuffed names, bought or coordinated reviews;
• Spam: content that exists mainly to advertise, link or promote;
• Misleading or harmful information: content that could seriously mislead about safety or legality without factual basis;
• Impersonation: a listing or account managed by someone who does not represent the business.

3. How to report

To report something, email us with the subject “Report”, or use the claim button on the listing if you are the owner. A useful report contains:

• the URL of the page and, for reviews or photos, which one;
• the reason, chosen from section 2, and the facts that support it;
• for copyright notices: the work concerned, proof that you own the copyright or act for the owner, where the infringing copy appears, and a statement that the use is not authorised and that the information in your notice is accurate;
• for defamation reports: the words complained of and why they are false;
• your name (for a company, its name and BR number) and an e-mail address we can reply to.

Reports must be accurate and made in good faith; knowingly making a false copyright notice may expose you to liability. Anonymous reports about wrong hours or closed businesses are fine; legal reports need a real name.

Reviews and photos from Google. Reviews and photos on listing pages are reproduced from Google Maps. We can hide them on Local Hong Kong within the timelines below, but the original stays on Google Maps until Google acts; report it there too using Google’s own tools.

4. Review process and timelines

1. Logged. Every report gets a reference and an acknowledgement by e-mail within 2 working days.
2. Assessed on content, context and the applicable law or rule. Copyright notices and personal data complaints are handled with priority, usually within 24 hours; other obvious cases (closed business, private phone number) within 2 working days; we aim to decide every report within 7 working days. Complex or legally sensitive cases may take longer, and we will tell you.
3. Interim measures. Where harm is likely, we may hide, restrict or label the content while we review. This is precautionary and not a decision.
4. Decision and notice. We e-mail the reporter and, where we can reach them, the person who posted the content, with a short statement of reasons.

Orders of the Hong Kong courts, and notices from competent authorities such as cessation notices from the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, are complied with within the time they set.

5. What we may do

Proportionately to the seriousness of the case: correct or update information, remove or hide content, restrict editing rights, revoke a verification, suspend or terminate an account, or in serious or repeated cases exclude a business or person from the site permanently. Repeat infringers lose their accounts. We balance freedom of expression, the safety of readers, fairness to businesses and our legal obligations.

6. If your content was reported

If we remove or restrict something you submitted, you can reply to the notice within 14 days with your side and any evidence. We review the reply and confirm, reverse or adjust the decision by e-mail. For copyright removals you may send a counter-notice stating, in good faith, that the content was removed by mistake or misidentification, or that you are entitled to use it, with your evidence; we forward it to the complainant and may restore the content after 10 working days unless the complainant tells us they have started legal proceedings.

7. Misuse of reporting

Using reports to retaliate, to suppress lawful negative opinions, to mass-report a competitor or to influence rankings is prohibited. Where we find misuse we may ignore further reports from the source, suspend the account or, in severe or repeated cases, close it.

8. Disclaimer

We host and compile content and do not guarantee its accuracy or completeness. Moderation decisions are not legal judgments and do not imply endorsement of what stays or of what goes. Reporting content does not guarantee its removal. Nothing here limits rights or duties that the law does not allow us to exclude.

9. Contact

For reports, copyright notices and other legal notices, email us. The operator’s name, address and e-mail are given on the operator details page.