Chinese government can request deletion of posts and profiles on Hong Kong SNS

In accordance with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region National Security Act of the People’s Republic of China, aka Hong Kong Security Law, which took effect on June 30 (local time), the Chinese government requested that Hong Kong delete posts or user accounts that have problems with social media such as Facebook and Twitter. It turns out to be possible.

China has previously installed and operated the Great Firewall to block undesirable information or websites in China. Under the Hong Kong Security Act, the Chinese public security may request that posts and profiles that send undesirable information be deleted at the discretion of the police.

An official from the Hong Kong Internet Service Providers Association said that the company would have to comply with the Hong Kong Security Law if requested by the police. They asked for information and said that there were many companies working with the police without knowing that the police needed to get a court order first. It also said that under the Hong Kong Security Act, the police can ask for help from providers without a court order, so association members cannot refuse to provide information.

Among social media, Facebook and Twitter have gained popularity as a means to arouse international interest for Hong Kongers. An official from the Information Technology Federation pointed out that global social media companies such as Facebook may be in a difficult position in Hong Kong. Some social media companies have offices in Hong Kong, but their headquarters and servers are located outside of Hong Kong, so if the police asks for a specific post deletion and investigation on the platform, it is the overseas headquarters that makes the decision. He said it was necessary to look at how it reacts to.

Facebook said it would review the details of the Hong Kong Security Law to understand its impact on service users, said it believes freedom of expression is a fundamental human right and shares concerns about the law’s impact on freedom of expression in Hong Kong. . Reportedly, there are many Facebook users who voluntarily close their accounts for fear of the Chinese government.

A Hong Kong University expert pointed out that the new Hong Kong Security Law gave the police the freedom to ask publishers and Internet service providers to delete information and provide assistance. Related information can be found here .