Hong Kong (AFP)

Facebook and its WhatsApp messaging service announced Monday that it will no longer respond to requests for information about their users from the government and authorities of Hong Kong, in an effort to uphold freedom of expression.

The ruling will apply "pending a new assessment" of the recent national security law imposed on Hong Kong by China, the two networks said in separate statements.

Hong Kong, a former British colony which was returned to China in 1997 on condition that certain freedoms are preserved, enjoys unlimited Internet access unlike mainland China, where Google, Twitter and Facebook are, for example, blocked.

But last week, the Chinese parliament passed Hong Kong's national security legislation, paving the way for radical change and a potential authoritarian turn.

"We believe that freedom of expression is a basic human right and we support the right of people to express themselves without fear for their safety and without fear of other repercussions," said a Facebook spokesperson.

The text adopted by the Communist regime in Beijing aims to suppress subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces, in response to the protest movement launched last year against the central power in the former British colony.

It is very controversial because it violates, according to its critics, the principle "One country - two systems" supposed to guarantee to the former British colony freedoms unknown elsewhere in China.

Facebook points out that it relies on a global procedure to respond to requests from governments to obtain information about users.

The review of each request takes into account both internal Facebook policy, local laws and international human rights standards.

"We are suspending consideration of government requests for Hong Kong user data pending further assessment of the national security law, including (...) consultations with international human rights experts Man, "said the Facebook spokesperson.

On Friday, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said it was "alarmed" by the arrests made in Hong Kong under this new law.

- 'Right to a private conversation' -

For its part, WhatsApp stresses that "people have the right to have a private conversation online".

He recalls that its end-to-end encryption protects the messages of 2 billion people worldwide every day.

"Confidentiality has never been more important than it is now, and we remain committed to providing private and secure messaging services to our users in Hong Kong," added a spokesperson.

The authoritarian turn of Hong Kong, which is home to a large number of global financial companies, is denounced in the United States.

Last week, the US Senate unanimously adopted a text supporting "human rights and democracy" in Hong Kong, angering Beijing.

The senators also approved a measure that would ban the sale to the Hong Kong police of tear gas, rubber bullets and other equipment intended to suppress the demonstrations.

This pass of legislative arms has escalated tensions between Washington and Beijing, already in conflict over trade, the South China Sea and the new coronavirus.

For its part, the British government decided to facilitate access to citizenship for Hong Kongers in reaction to the new Chinese security law.

© 2020 AFP