Social media might be better off leaving Hong Kong - Shaun Rein

Shaun Rein`

TikTok has already decided to leave Hong Kong and other Western social media like Facebook and Google are trying to figure out what to do after China introduced its national security law to Hong Kong and they might have to cooperate with local police. Business analyst Shaun Rein suggests they would better off leaving Hong Kong altogether, in the South China Morning Post.

The South China Morning Post:

New implementation regulations for the law unveiled on Monday say it applies “whether or not the identification record or decryption key” central to a particular national security case is located in Hong Kong.

Shaun Rein, managing director of China Market Research Group, said that given how politicised Hong Kong had become, Facebook risked being criticised at home if it did not publicly say it would resist police requests.

“I think a lot of companies like Facebook have a decision to make. Is it better to upset the Hong Kong police and the government, or is it better to upset their home market in the US? So maybe it is better for them to leave Hong Kong completely,” he said.

Rein said there was a “real risk” that the legal representatives of these companies could go to jail or be fined if they did not follow the law, leaving tech giants stuck in a “very difficult and dangerous situation”

More in the South China Morning Post.

Shaun Rein is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need him at your (online) meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request form.

Are you looking for more political analysts at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.

At the China Speakers Bureau, we start to organize online seminars. Are you interested in our plans? Do get in touch.