This Tourism Ad Was Meant to Show a Quirky Romance. Instead, Viewers Saw Abuse

Hong Kong's tale of a withheld passport drew complaints

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The idea of a passport being withheld by an ex-boyfriend is a haunting image for those in abusive or manipulative relationships—so it’s understandable that many took issue with a new Hong Kong tourism ad that centers on that scenario.

In “The Camera,” part of a recent tourism campaign from the Hong Kong Tourism Board promoting the shopping-centric Sham Shui Po neighborhood, we see a woman desperately searching for her passport so that she can leave China to pursue her photography degree.

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