Google stops working with the authorities in the Special Administrative Region because of China’s controversial Hong Kong law. Data requests from the Hong Kong authorities would no longer be answered directly, the company from Silicon Valley announced today.
„As always, authorities from outside the USA can make data inquiries about criminal investigations via diplomatic channels.“ In any case, Google did not respond to the vast majority of inquiries for data protection reasons.
The Washington Post first reported on Google’s actions. The Internet company is no longer treating Hong Kong differently to the rest of China. The authorities in the former British crown colony would have to apply for legal assistance at the state level in the future. That would go through the US Department of Justice. Google informed the Hong Kong police about this yesterday, the newspaper said.
Numerous arrests
The police in the financial metropolis had cracked down on the movement for more freedom and democracy at the beginning of the week and had in the meantime arrested prominent media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai, among others. The arrests in this context are based on a Chinese “national security” law enforced by the Chinese government in June.
It is considered a cut in the autonomy of the city, which it was promised for at least 50 years when it was handed over to China in 1997 according to the principle of “one country, two systems”. The law provides life imprisonment as the maximum sentence for numerous offenses that the Chinese authorities consider subversion, secession and terrorism.
