
Google, Facebook, Twitter halt govt data requests after Hong Kong security law - cloakedarbiter
https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/6/21314900/google-facebook-twitter-hong-kong-government-data-china
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idrios
So had they been complying with govt data requests from Hong Kong up until 5
days ago? I have no idea what China's policies on ex post facto laws are but
does this mean there are political dissenters in Hong Kong who will likely be
punished for this new security law based on info given to them from these
companies just 2 weeks ago?

Don't get me wrong, I'm extremely grateful these companies are taking this
stand. But I'm so frustrated that it's always a reactive measure. Would they
have still done this if the law hadn't gotten this much international
attention? Are these companies actually doing this because it's the right
thing to do, or because they would suffer a PR storm if they didn't? I wish
these companies would have been more proactive about doing something to
support the people of Hong Kong because this is literally the first news I
think I've seen, in the entire 1.5 years of the ongoing protests, where a
major US company actually did something to help them.

~~~
jka
Most of the major U.S. tech companies that handle user data provide
transparency reports that include aggregate statistics on the number of user
information requests they receive and respond to, per-country:

\- [https://transparencyreport.google.com/user-
data/overview](https://transparencyreport.google.com/user-data/overview)

\- [https://transparency.facebook.com/government-data-
requests](https://transparency.facebook.com/government-data-requests)

\- [https://transparency.twitter.com/en/information-
requests.htm...](https://transparency.twitter.com/en/information-
requests.html)

------
niklaslogren
The same move was made by Telegram:
[https://hongkongfp.com/2020/07/05/exclusive-telegram-to-
temp...](https://hongkongfp.com/2020/07/05/exclusive-telegram-to-temporarily-
refuse-data-requests-from-hong-kong-courts-amid-security-law-terrorism-row/)

