“Facebook and WhatsApp pause Hong Kong user data requests”, 6 July 2020

Facebook and WhatsApp have said they have “paused” the processing of government requests for user data in Hong Kong. The encrypted messenger Telegram has also halted cooperation with law enforcement.

WhatsApp said it was pausing such reviews “pending further assessment of the impact of the national security law, including formal human rights due diligence and consultations with human rights experts”.

Its parent company, Facebook, followed soon afterwards. “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,” a spokesperson said. “We have a global process for government requests, and in reviewing each individual request, we consider Facebook’s policies, local laws and international human rights standards.”…

The decision by the social networks to suspend law enforcement cooperation suggests they see themselves on a collision course with the Chinese state following the passage of the national security law.

Telegram said it would not process “any data requests related to its Hong Kong users until an international consensus is reached in relation to the ongoing political changes in the city”…

[Also referred to Apple]