Hong Kong defends privacy law after Big Tech raises concerns

Hong Kong defends privacy law after Big Tech raises concerns Hong Kong has defended planned changes to privacy laws, disregarding concerns raised by a technology industry body. The new law targets “doxxing” – the malicious act of publishing people’s personal information online. But an industry group says technology giants may pull out of town over fears that they are visiting become answerable for user content. Hong Kong’s leader, Carrie Lam said officials would meet companies that are concerned about the changes. In a letter, the Singapore-based Asia Internet Coalition (AIC) – which counts Facebook, Google, Twitter, and Apple amongst its members – said the proposed legislation was too broad. “The local staff of overseas platforms in the city aren’t in command of the operations of the platforms; neither do they…have access right or control to administer the online platform contents,” the AIC said. “The only because to avoid these sanctions for technology companies would be to refrain from investing and offering their services in the city, thereby depriving metropolis businesses and consumers, whilst also creating new barriers to trade,” the letter added. The letter, which was written on 25 June and made public on Monday, was addressed to Hong Kong’s Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data. In response, the govt. the department reiterated that the changes to the law would only concern unlawful doxxing. The AIC has told the BBC that the letter doesn’t mention individual companies or that anyone member is reaching to leave the city. When asked about the warning on Tuesday, Hong Kong’s chief executive dismissed the concerns. “We are targeting illegal doxxing and empowering the privacy commissioners to research and perform operations, that’s it,” Ms Lam told reporters at a weekly news briefing. She also signaled that her government would still fast-track the new legislation. In May, Hong Kong’s government announced plans to vary data privacy laws after doxxing was widely used during pro-democracy protests in 2019. The tactic was accustomed to name enforcement officials and court officials who had helped to limit protests online or worked on legal cases during which activists were prosecuted. Journalists and protestors were also targeted. The proposed changes to the laws would ban doxxing and provides authorities the pliability to force social media companies and websites to urge eliminate personal information from their platforms. In 1997, the previous British colony of the city was returned to Chinese rule with guarantees of continued freedoms. Pro-democracy activists say those freedoms are being eroded by Beijing, especially within the wake of a controversial national security law that was introduced last year. China denies these allegations. Google and Apple didn’t immediately answer requests for comment from the BBC. Facebook and Twitter referred the BBC to the AIC’s original letter.