Social media platforms said in statements Monday that they would “pause” the review of the Hong Kong government’s requests for information “pending further evaluation of the impact of the National Security Law, including formal due diligence on human rights and consultations with human rights experts. “
Facebook (full board) The company said “freedom of expression is a fundamental human right and supports the right of people to express themselves without fear of their safety or other repercussions.”
Twitter (TWTR) He confirmed to CNN Business that he has also stopped all requests for data and information from Hong Kong authorities while reviewing the law.
“Like many public interest organizations, leaders and entities of civil society and industry peers, we have serious concerns regarding both the development process and the full intent of this law,” the spokesperson said.
The law imposed last week by Beijing criminalizes secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign powers, a radical change that critics describe as an attack on the long-standing freedom of speech and press in Hong Kong. Kong but which are prohibited in mainland China. .
Loosely defined rules expand the power of officials to investigate, prosecute, and punish foreign citizens for anything deemed to promote secession or government subversion, such as ‘inciting hatred’ to the Chinese central authority.
The law is a major change for Hong Kong, which has been enforced under the “one country, two systems” principle since Britain formally handed over territorial authority to China in 1997. The Internet is not censored in Hong Kong, the leading Asia hub financial center, and residents can access social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp and Google (GOOGL) that are prohibited on the mainland.
Hong Kong authorities insist on freedom of expression and the press still exists in the city. But just displaying the popular catchphrase “liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times” could result in a charge of sedition under the new law, they said last week.
The government has moved quickly to enforce the new law. The first person prosecuted under the law was denied bail after appearing in court on Monday.
Facebook and WhatsApp said they only comply with requests for information from police authorities in accordance with their terms of service and only when the requests are in line with international human rights standards.
In its transparency report from July to December 2019, Facebook said it received 241 requests for information about 257 users or accounts from the Hong Kong authorities. Of those requests, Facebook said 46% resulted in “some data produced.”
WhatsApp, which encrypts messages between users, will not comment on whether user data has been shared with Hong Kong authorities in the past. Instead, a spokesperson referred CNN Business to an information page for law enforcement, which states that the company will only disclose information “in accordance with our terms of service and applicable law.”
Hong Kong police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
– Anna Kam and Sandi Sidhu contributed to this report.
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