Hong Kong's Internet freedoms is under threat,with the new security law enforces

Facebook, WhatsApp, Google, Twitter, Signal, Zoom, Microsoft, and Telegram all announced this week that they will temporarily stop responding to Hong Kong government requests for information on users in the city amid Beijing’s new national security law. Apple, meanwhile, is still “assessing” the law and will await guidance from the U.S. government. Chinese-owned TikTok has decided to pull out of the Hong Kong market altogether.

Beijing implemented the new national security law in Hong Kong on June 30. It's aimed at preventing and punishing acts that jeopardize China’s national security, namely secession, terrorism, subversion, and collusion with foreign forces. The Tuesday announcements from foreign tech firms followed the Monday introduction of Hong Kong's new rules outlining Article 43 of the law; they give Hong Kong police sweeping power over Hong Kong’s Internet.

The companies are pushing back against a new national security law that went into effect earlier this month that could quash free speech and dissent in the region. The pushback also represents a rare moment when big American tech companies are contesting China’s tight grip on information in the country.

“Last Wednesday, when the law took effect, we paused production on any new data requests from Hong Kong authorities, and we’ll continue to review the details of the new law,” a Google spokesperson told Recode.

Recent moves represent a rare moment when American tech companies question China’s tight grip on information.The rules say that all online publishing platforms in Hong Kong, whether locally based or foreign-owned, must provide data, remove content, or restrict access to users upon police request. What's more, any "foreign agent" or service provider that fails to comply with police could face a fine of nearly $13,000 and six months of imprisonment.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam did not answer a direct question about foreign tech firms' refusal to share data with the Hong Kong government but reiterated her determination to enforce the law.For Internet service providers and other organizations, they may be asked to remove information or messages online. There is this power,” Lam said.

Such statements may do little to assure compliance by foreign tech firms. For now, they are taking a stand against the apparent erosion of Internet freedoms in Hong Kong.Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s chief executive, is seen on smartphone screens during a news conference in Hong Kong on June 30, 2020. This week she dodged questions about tech giants’ refusal to cooperate with government data requests.

The push toward online privacy spiked this year in late May, after China introduced the new national security legislation for Hong Kong. At the time, virtual private networks (VPNs), which mask a user's online activity, reported massive upswings in demand in Hong Kong.

The Great Firewall of china blocks Twitter, Google,Facebook, WhatsApp and many of the other means Hong Kongers use to communicate and organize with one another online. On the mainland, state-sanctioned apps such as WeChat and Baidu are regularly monitored, and automated systems detect keywords the Chinese government has banned from use in online discussions, along with any images that might also break its rules.