Internet Giants Threaten to End Service in Hong Kong over Proposed Data Protection Law
Alex Wong/Getty Images
5 Jul 2021
Facebook, Twitter, and Google have reportedly warned the Hong Kong government that they may stop offering their services in the city if Hong Kong authorities proceed with implementing data-protection laws seeking to combat doxing.
A letter sent by an industry group representing the tech giants says that the companies are concerned with planned changes to data-protection laws, as they believe the new rules could make them liable for doxing, according to a report by
the Wall Street Journal.
Doxing — a practice that was reportedly common during the 2019 protests in Hong Kong — refers to the online sharing of individuals’ personal information, with the hopes that others will use it for malicious intent.