Google Responds To Hong Kong's New National Security Law By Rejecting Its Government's Requests For Data

Google's on-again, off-again relationship with China is off again. A decade ago, Google threatened to pull out of China because the government demanded a censored search engine. Fast forward to 2018 and it was Google offering to build a censored search engine for the China market. A few months later -- following heavy internal and external criticism -- Google abandoned the project.

China is now imposing its will on Hong Kong in violation of the agreement it made when the UK returned control of the region to the Chinese government. Its latest effort to stifle long-running pro-democracy demonstrations took the form of a "national security" law which was ratified by the far-too-obsequious Hong Kong government. The law equates advocating for a more independent Hong Kong with sedition and terrorism, allowing authorities to punish demonstrators and dissidents with life sentences for, apparently, fighting back against a government that agreed it wouldn't impose its will on Hong Kong and its residents.

For years, Google has refused to honor data requests from the Chinese government. Following this latest attack on Hong Kong autonomy, it appears Google now feels the region is indistinguishable from China.

Google will stop responding directly to data requests from Hong Kong authorities, according to a person familiar with the matter, treating the territory effectively the same as mainland China in such transactions.

The move comes in the wake of Beijing's imposition of a broad national security law that targets vaguely defined crimes including subversion of state power, collusion with foreign powers, secession and terrorism.

The new law has received criticism from pretty much every country that doesn't wish it had thought of it first. The Chinese government is finding itself without many useful allies following this transparent attempt to silence criticism under the always useful "national security" banner. Multiple countries have offered asylum to pro-democracy activists and a number have suspended extradition treaties to prevent the Chinese government from dragging fleeing dissidents back for prosecution.

Very few governments are willing to help the Chinese government punish Hong Kong residents for wanting something better than an oppressive regime in power. Foreign tech companies shouldn't be willing to pick up the slack. Fortunately, Google -- despite its earlier assistance offers to the censorious government -- has decided to do the right thing and tell the Hong Kong government it won't be aiding and abetting its oppression efforts.

Google spokesman Aaron Stein said the company has not produced data in response to new requests from Hong Kong authorities" since the security law was enacted and that remains the case."

The only autonomy China recognizes is its own. By violating its agreement with Hong Kong -- and promising to retaliate against sanctions and other efforts put in place by other countries in response to this new law -- China has made it clear it will go it alone to achieve its ends.