A proxy war that has been initiated in Hongkong for freedom of expression over the internet. Hong Kong government officially requested to WhatsApp provides them user data for the time being. WhatsApp authorities made an announcement that will not hand over any personal data of their uses.
What other tech giants and companies think about it?
WhatsApp was the pioneer in making a clear statement that they would not hand over any personal info and messages to the Hong Kong government or law enforcement agencies. Later many other companies like Facebook. Telegram, twitter issues similar statements and said that that have pauses information requests from honking authorities.
According to the Facebook spokesperson, we believe in freedom of speech and expression as a fundamental human right. He also said that they think that people should have the right to express without being afraid of their safety. According to soles person of twitter, we are committed to protecting the information of the folks who are using our services. Apple messages and facetime also use end to end encryption for security purposes. However, their clear stance is still missing, either they follow a similar position or not against controversial China’s national security law.
All the companies mentioned above have a conflict with the Chinese government, which is good news for Hong Kong residents.
There is another side of the picture; if facebook WhatsApp and other tech giants refuse to provide data, they can lose the Hong Kong market. These apps could be banned in Hong Kong. According to the spokesperson of NGO of digital rights, china usually adopts this policy of proscribing the products and companies to listen to their demands.
This controversial law has initiated a new debate on digital rights and rights for freedom of expression.