TOPLINE
US tech companies Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Zoom and Twitter have said that they would temporarily stop processing requests for Hong Kong authorities on user data, while ByteDance’s TikTok has pulled its app from the region as the companies review the Hong Kong’s new national security law which gives local authorities sweeping online censorship and surveillance powers.
Riot police hold up a warning flag during a demonstration in a mall in Hong Kong, in response to a … [+] new national security law introduced in the city.
AFP via Getty Images
KEY FACTS
Facebook has paused their review of government requests for user data from Hong Kong until the National Security Law is further assessed, the company said in a statement adding that its review also includes “formal human rights due diligence and consultations with international human rights experts.”
The social media giant added, “We believe freedom of expression is a fundamental human right and support the right of people to express themselves without fear for their safety or other repercussions.”
Twitter said in a statement that had “grave concerns” about the intention of the law adding that the company’s teams were “reviewing the law to assess its implications, particularly as some of the terms of the law are vague and without clear definition.”
Google began its pause on data sharing last Wednesday and said it will “continue to review the details of the new law,” the Verge reported.
TikTok, which is owned by the Beijing-headquartered ByteDance went a step further than other companies and has decided to pull its app from Hong Kong, Reuters reported, with a source stating that the company made the decision because it is unclear if Hong Kong will “fall entirely under Beijing’s jurisdiction under the new law.”
The video-sharing app, which has faced scrutiny due to its Chinese ownership, had previously stated that it would not comply with any requests made by the Chinese government to censor content or for access to TikTok’s user data.
Other companies including Microsoft, video conferencing platform Zoom and messaging service Telegram have also said they would pause sharing of user data, BBC reported.
Apple hasn’t clarified its formal stance on the issue but the company’s transparency page on Hong Kong notes that “Government and private entities are required to follow applicable laws and statutes when requesting customer information and data from Apple.”
Key BackGround
On Monday, Hong Kong released new rules that gave the city’s police sweeping powers to take down content on the internet and punish internet companies for not complying with data requests. Under these new rules, authorities can jail employees of internet companies for up to six months if they fail to comply with requests for user data. Various reports noted that the new rules along with the security laws that went into effect last week could serve as a turning point for internet users in the city where the web has not been as severely censored as it has in mainland China. The New York Times notes that US tech companies have a lot to lose by exiting the region, with the likes of Google, Facebook and Twitter having large advertising businesses in Hong Kong.
tangent
Unlike its American peers, ByteDance’s TikTok has decided to pull out of Hong Kong altogether, reportedly because of its concerns that Hong Kong internet may fall under Beijing’s jurisdiction under the new law. TikTok’s connections with Beijing have been under scrutiny, despite the company’s claims that it doesn’t share user data with China. On Monday evening U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Fox News that the Trump administration is “certainly looking at” restricting United States’ users’ access to TikTok over concerns it is potentially being used by China as a means of surveillance and propaganda. Last week TikTok was banned in India, its largest market, along with 58 other Chinese apps.
Further Reading
Big Tech Faceoff With China Risks Sparking Exodus From Hong Kong (Bloomberg)
TikTok to Withdraw From Hong Kong as Tech Giants Halt Data Requests (New York Times)
TikTok’s Hong Kong exit isn’t a stand against Beijing’s internet censorship (Quartz)
Police handed power to do warrantless searches, freeze assets, intercept comms, control internet (Hong Kong Free Press)
