ANI
07 Jul 2020, 02:48 GMT+10
Washington D.C. [US], July 7 (ANI): Social media giant Facebook on Monday said it would temporarily stop processing Hong Kong government requests for user data as the company reviews the controversial national security law.
The assessment of the law would include human rights considerations, the company said.
Beijing drafted and passed the legislation late last month that targets acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces, with punishments of up to life in prison for the most serious offences.
The move came after months of social upheaval triggered by opposition to a now-withdrawn extradition bill but that morphed into wider demands, including universal suffrage.
The move has also raised fears that it would undermine the autonomy of Hog Kong and crush dissent.
"We are pausing the review of government requests for user data from Hong Kong pending further assessment of the National Security Law, including formal human rights due diligence and consultations with international human rights experts," Facebook wrote in a statement, according to a report in the New York Times.
"We believe freedom of expression is a fundamental human right and support the right of people to express themselves without fear for their safety or other repercussions," the statement added.
The suspension of data reviews also applies to the messaging app WhatsApp, the company said, according to the New York Times report. (ANI)Get a daily dose of New York Telegraph news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to New York Telegraph.
More InformationSAO PAULO, Brazil: Brazil is taking confident steps to restore its dominance in global poultry exports after declaring its commercial...
NEW YORK, New YorK - U.S. stocks closed mixed on Friday, with gains and losses modest, as investors and traders weighed up the escalation...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Retail sales dropped sharply in May as consumer spending slowed after a strong start to the year, primarily due to...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Mitsubishi Motors is the latest automaker to raise prices in the United States, joining a growing list of car companies...
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana: Eli Lilly is making a bold play in cardiovascular gene therapy, announcing plans to acquire its partner Verve...
BEIJING/WELLINGTON: New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon commenced his visit to China on June 17, seeking to strengthen trade...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: The Trump family has unveiled a new venture in the telecom sector — and it's drawing as much scrutiny as it...
Ukhrul (Manipur) [India], June 21 (ANI): High in the misty hills of Ukhrul, a quiet fashion revolution is taking center stage as young...
London [UK], June 21 (ANI): India's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Vikram Doraiswami, led the 11th International Day of Yoga...
Westchester [US], June 21 (ANI): The Consulate General of India (CGI) in New York, in association with the Town of Greenburgh and the...
Los Angeles [US], June 20 (ANI): Rapper Cardi B has come up with her new single 'Outside'. On Friday, she treated her fans to the...
(250620) -- UNITED NATIONS, June 20, 2025 (Xinhua) -- Fu Cong (C, front), China's permanent representative to the United Nations, speaks...