KATHMANDU: Google, Facebook and Twitter do not process the Hong Kong government's requests for user data on the grounds that a proposed security law could criminalize protests.
Last Wednesday, when the law came into force, Google stopped producing any new information requests from the Hong Kong authorities, said Alphabet Inc. spokesperson. "We will continue to review the provisions of the new legislation," said the spokesperson.
It's not clear what kind of action is going to violate the new law, but the police arrested a man last week for brandishing the Hong Kong Independence Flag. Protesters have been rallying against the law, and the government has threatened fines and imprisonment for service providers who are failing to remove messages. In response, the U.S. has revoked some of Hong Kong's trade benefits related to sensitive technology.
US officials were concerned that the new law would signal Beijing's intention to take full control of Hong Kong, which operated with more autonomy and freedom than the mainland cities.
The Hong Kong government demanded data from Google users 105 times in 2019, according to the company's published figures.
(With inputs from Agencies)
