Hong Kong SIM Card Rule Tightened as China Expands Control Over Cross-Border Internet Access

A new China Mobile Hong Kong policy requires prepaid SIMs to be activated outside China, narrowing a workaround some users used to access the global internet.

A China Mobile advertising board on the side of a building in Hong Kong on March 14, 2010. Daniel Sorabji/AFP via Getty Images

A new restriction on Hong Kong prepaid mobile SIM cards is tightening access to a channel some Chinese users have long used to reach overseas internet services, highlighting the expanding scope of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) censorship regime.

According to a notice on China Mobile Hong Kong’s website, effective June 17, all prepaid SIM cards can no longer be activated in mainland China.

Customers must complete initial activation in Hong Kong or other designated roaming destinations before using the service, with mainland China explicitly excluded.

The change applies across the company’s prepaid product range.

The new rule requires users to insert and activate the SIM card in Hong Kong—typically by dialing a service code—before it can function, and SIM cards that have not been activated outside mainland China will not complete the setup process if users attempt to do so while inside China.

Tool Used by Some in China

For years, Hong Kong mobile SIM cards have been used by some frequent travelers and Chinese residents as a workaround for accessing overseas services that are otherwise restricted in China.

A businessperson and two industry insiders spoke to The Epoch Times about the issue on condition of anonymity or only publishing their surnames, out of fear of reprisal.

A Chinese businesswoman who frequently travels between Hong Kong and mainland China for business told the publication that users often choose Hong Kong-issued SIM cards because they can be used in both regions.

“Before, people like us who travel between the two places would use China Mobile Hong Kong,” she said. “When we go to mainland [China] for work, we could still get online normally. We could access Google, Facebook, or YouTube without problems.”

She added that some people in China even purchased Hong Kong SIM cards through intermediaries to access overseas platforms.

“Now that activation inside China is not allowed, it basically cuts off that option,” the businesswoman said.

Under the new policy, users can still use the SIM cards in China—provided they were first activated in Hong Kong or another permitted location. However, individuals who purchase the cards while in China will no longer be able to use them immediately.

That change has implications for a practice that analysts say existed in a regulatory gray area: using Hong Kong mobile services to obtain overseas connectivity and verification channels.

A telecommunications industry insider in Hong Kong, surnamed Leung, told The Epoch Times the measure is likely aimed at closing loopholes that allowed Chinese users indirect access to the global internet.

“In the past, people could bring unactivated Hong Kong SIM cards into mainland [China] and activate them there, then use roaming data to access overseas websites,” he said. “This new rule removes that path and raises the cost of bypassing the CCP’s censorship.”

A couple use their mobile phones as they rest on a bench along a business street in Beijing on Sept. 15, 2021. Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images

Expanding Control 

Leung said the move reflects a broader tightening of China’s internet censorship.

“In the past, controls focused mainly on blocking websites, removing apps, cracking down on VPNs, and enforcing real-name registration,” he said. “Now the restrictions are extending into phone numbers, SMS verification, and cross-border communication channels.”

He described the trend as incremental rather than abrupt.

“It’s like gradually narrowing every possible gap,” he said.

A China Mobile agent in Guangzhou, surnamed Feng, told The Epoch Times he believes the policy direction is not limited to one company.

“In my view, this is not just a China Mobile Hong Kong decision,” he said. “It likely comes from the CCP’s Cyberspace Administration. Other telecom operators may follow.”

He added: “The goal is to further restrict mainland [Chinese] users’ ability to access overseas networks.”

The change comes amid long-standing restrictions in mainland China on access to major global platforms such as Google, Meta, and X. VPN services have also faced periodic crackdowns, while app stores in China have removed foreign applications and tightened identity verification requirements.

While no comparable blanket announcement has been observed from other major Hong Kong telecom providers, the China Mobile Hong Kong policy is among the clearest formal restrictions yet on where prepaid SIM cards can be activated.

Leung pointed out that the latest restriction illustrates how China’s internet controls are evolving beyond website filtering and app restrictions to include telecommunications infrastructure itself.

“This is no longer just about blocking websites,” Leung said. “It’s about controlling the entry points—phone numbers, SMS verification, and cross-border connectivity. Each step makes external access more difficult.”

He added that as these channels narrow, the cost and complexity of accessing global internet services for Chinese users will continue to rise.

Sun Cheng contributed to this report.