Facebook will 'pause' handing over Hong Kong users' data to the government, citing human rights concerns with China's new National Security Law

• Facebook is temporarily suspending the process by which it hands over users' data to the government in Hong Kong following China's move to enforce a new national security law in the city, a spokesperson said.
• WhatsApp, the messaging app owned by Facebook, is also pausing the review of government requests for user data in Hong Kong.
• Hong Kong citizens previously had free access to the internet, but China just imposed a new law in the city that grants the government more leeway to monitor and crack down on online dissent.
• Facebook said it will evaluate how to proceed in Hong Kong following "human rights due diligence" and input from human rights experts.

Facebook will temporarily stop handing over Hong Kong users' data to the government as it evaluates the human rights implications of a new law imposed by China in the city, a company spokesperson said.

WhatsApp, the messaging app owned by Facebook, will also pause reviewing government requests for user data in the city.

The decision comes as China imposes a new national security law in Hong Kong. Under the law, Hong Kong residents — who previously enjoyed more free speech protections in the city — could face criminal charges for criticizing the Chinese government, including in online forums. The new law, which went into effect last week, was one of the causes of more than a year of protests against the Chinese state in Hong Kong.

Facebook has a dedicated online channel through which law enforcement can request information about users they believe may have broken the law. Facebook said it's pausing that channel in Hong Kong while it conducts "human rights due diligence" about the implications of the new law.

"We believe freedom of expression is a fundamental human right and support the right of people to express themselves without fear for their safety or other repercussions," the Facebook spokesperson said. "We are pausing the review of government requests for user data from Hong Kong pending further assessment of the National Security Law, including formal human rights due diligence and consultations with international human rights experts."

In a separate statement, a WhatsApp spokesperson said the app will similarly pause review of government requests for data in the city, adding that WhatsApp is "committed to providing private and secure messaging services to our users in Hong Kong."

Facebook's decision follows the announcement from Telegram, another encrypted messaging app and WhatsApp competitor, that it will not disclose Hong Kong users' identities to the government.