Google, Facebook and Twitter will not cooperate with China for the time being.
The three giants Google, Facebook and Twitter will not provide the authorities with the data of Hong Kong users, who have been complying with Beijing regulations since 1 July.
A new one has been in effect since 1 July Safety law which, in fact, puts an end to the principle "one country, two systems "; what until now had allowed to Hong Kong to have a very wide level of autonomy with respect to Beijing and to give oneself liberal norms far removed from the ferocity of those that govern China.
The reform had been in sight for several months, and was at the root of the protests that inflamed the autonomous territory in 2019.
Today, in fact, the HK authorities they have to answer directly to Beijing. The same principles of presumption of guilt apply that make China one of the most authoritarian regimes on the face of the earth.
In this context, Google, Facebook and Twitter they announced their intention to suspend collaboration with local authorities, at least for the moment. It means that, if law enforcement requests it, the companies in question will not provide data on their users - such as their logs, their private conversations and their GPS location history.
a Google spokesperson told The Verge. Twitter and Facebook, writes the NY Times, have explained that they will do the same.
The three tech giants —but practically every Silicon Valley company — cannot operate inside China. Hong Kong, thanks to its particular exceptional status, until last June has always been outside the so-called "Great Firewall“: Citizens were free to use any Western service.
The new law on security effectively eliminates any possibility of criticism of the government and the Chinese Communist Party.
Twitter also disputes the clarity of the Security Act, pointing the finger at the vagueness of many articles.
Facebook has instead said it believes that freedom of expression is "a fundamental human right". The social media also explained that when it receives requests from the authorities, in addition to compliance with local regulations, it also assesses compliance with international law and human rights.
