HONG KONG — Google has restricted access to its Gemini artificial intelligence tools for many Google Workspace users in Hong Kong, following a sudden shift in regional policy reported in late January 2026. Accounts that previously had limited access to Gemini features are now seeing messages stating the service is “not supported in your region.”
While some embedded AI functions in Gmail and Google Drive continue to operate, the Gemini browser side panel and primary Gemini experience have been blocked for Workspace tenants tied to Hong Kong billing regions. Google has not provided a detailed explanation, but the city is now categorized alongside other unsupported regions for consumer and subscription AI offerings, including Google One AI Pro.
Industry observers note that the move aligns with Google’s longstanding practice of omitting Hong Kong from the rollout of its AI products, a stance often linked to compliance, regulatory, or export-control considerations. The change mirrors measures taken by other AI providers, such as OpenAI, which have similarly restricted access in select jurisdictions.
For affected organizations, Google’s official guidance is limited. Workspace administrators can verify whether AI add-ons remain enabled in the admin console, but regional policy blocks cannot be bypassed from the customer side. Support teams can confirm if a tenant is geo-restricted, though they are rarely able to override Google’s regional policies.
Many Hong Kong users seeking generative AI functions have turned to alternatives or temporary workarounds, such as using Vertex AI from Google Cloud or switching to Microsoft 365 Copilot and Azure OpenAI. VPNs remain a popular but unofficial method for personal accounts, though they are discouraged for corporate use due to compliance risks.
