Hong Kong: Facebook's transparency report shows company refused all 202 government data requests since national security law
"Facebook refused all 202 Hong Kong gov’t user data requests since onset of security law", 8 June 2021
Social media giant Facebook has refused all 202 Hong Kong government requests for user data it received in the six months after Hong Kong enacted the national security law last June.
Facebook received 201 legal process requests and one emergency disclosure request from Hong Kong authorities for user data from 223 user accounts between July and December 2020. It complied with none of them, the company’s latest transparency report showed.
During the second half of last year, Facebook received user information requests from the governments of 21 other countries that it did not comply with, the company’s data showed. Amongst them were Sri Lanka, Russia, Iraq and Malawi.
Facebook’s data includes requests made in relation to Instagram, Messenger, Whatsapp and Occulus, the transparency report said.
When asked by HKFP if Facebook’s non-compliance might violate the city’s laws, a police spokesperson said they “would request information from relevant individuals and organisations when it is needed for its crime investigations.” [...]
The company said it “paused the review of government requests for user data from Hong Kong” shortly after Beijing handed down the national security law last July. [...]