Google and Facebook threaten to leave Hong Kong over anti-doxing laws – The Hollywood Reporter

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An industry group representing Google, Facebook and Twitter privately warned the Hong Kong government that planned data protection laws aimed at stopping doxing could see tech giants leave the territory.

The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that the industry group, the Singapore-based Asia Internet Coalition, sent a letter to the Hong Kong government expressing its concerns about plans to introduce antidox legislation as it could make companies and their accused employees. The letter added that tech companies could stop offering their services in Hong Kong if the law were introduced.

Doxing is posting information from individuals without consent and usually for malicious purposes. The government claims that there were several cases of doxing during the pro-democracy protests in 2019 that brought Hong Kong to a standstill. The WSJ reports that under the proposed new laws, doxing can lead to fines of $ 128,800 (HK $ 1 million) and up to five years in prison.

The threat of a withdrawal from Hong Kong over the proposed antidox laws is the latest incident in a frayed relationship between most American Big Tech companies and the local government.

As China exerts greater control over Hong Kong, especially through the controversial national security law imposed last June, areas of conflict between the local government and the likes of Google, Facebook and Twitter have increased. In July 2020, Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Zoom suspended acceptance of data requests from Hong Kong authorities, and Chinese-owned TikTok decided to withdraw from the territory altogether.

The latest stalemate also comes in the wake of Hong Kong’s largest newspaper, Apple Daily, which ceased operations in June after the owner, several directors and editorial staff were arrested for violations of the national security law.

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