#Newspaper
South Korea’s Naver relocates Hong Kong data centre to Singapore
//Naver — a Google rival that dominates the South Korean market for web services and owns a majority of Japan-based WhatsApp competitor Line — confirmed it was relocating its data back-up centre from Hong Kong to an expanded site in Singapore.
//The move is the first by a major foreign tech group to formally retreat from the territory in response to China’s new national security laws
//Its exit comes amid widespread concern among foreign groups that they will be forced to hand over private user data to Hong Kong authorities as well as face censorship by the Chinese Communist party. Similar fears have stopped many US tech companies from operating within China for years.
//#Facebook, #Google and #Microsoft were among companies that this month temporarily blocked Hong Kong’s government from accessing user data as they assessed the implications of the new law. The US tech groups, most of which have data centres in Hong Kong, are locked in negotiations over a proposal to give regulators in the territory access to customer banking records.
//The decision by Seoul-based #Naver highlights the potential that other companies and investors could similarly shift operations and assets to Singapore, as Hong Kong loses its lustre as the region’s leading low-tax financial centre and a key tech and trade hub as Beijing tightens control.
Full article: FT, (21-Jul)
Further reading:
As National Security Law Descends upon Hong Kong, VPN Service TunnelBear Removes Hong Kong Servers, ProtonVPN Lists Hong Kong as “High-Risk Country”
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/23722
In Hong Kong, a Proxy Battle Over Internet Freedom Begins
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/23731
#Singapore #NationalSecurityLaw #Relocation #TechGroup
South Korea’s Naver relocates Hong Kong data centre to Singapore
//Naver — a Google rival that dominates the South Korean market for web services and owns a majority of Japan-based WhatsApp competitor Line — confirmed it was relocating its data back-up centre from Hong Kong to an expanded site in Singapore.
//The move is the first by a major foreign tech group to formally retreat from the territory in response to China’s new national security laws
//Its exit comes amid widespread concern among foreign groups that they will be forced to hand over private user data to Hong Kong authorities as well as face censorship by the Chinese Communist party. Similar fears have stopped many US tech companies from operating within China for years.
//#Facebook, #Google and #Microsoft were among companies that this month temporarily blocked Hong Kong’s government from accessing user data as they assessed the implications of the new law. The US tech groups, most of which have data centres in Hong Kong, are locked in negotiations over a proposal to give regulators in the territory access to customer banking records.
//The decision by Seoul-based #Naver highlights the potential that other companies and investors could similarly shift operations and assets to Singapore, as Hong Kong loses its lustre as the region’s leading low-tax financial centre and a key tech and trade hub as Beijing tightens control.
Full article: FT, (21-Jul)
Further reading:
As National Security Law Descends upon Hong Kong, VPN Service TunnelBear Removes Hong Kong Servers, ProtonVPN Lists Hong Kong as “High-Risk Country”
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/23722
In Hong Kong, a Proxy Battle Over Internet Freedom Begins
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/23731
#Singapore #NationalSecurityLaw #Relocation #TechGroup
Ft
South Korea’s Naver relocates Hong Kong data centre to Singapore
First major foreign tech group to confirm exit from Chinese territory amid privacy concerns
Ex-CEO of Google Warned: China's Control of AI will Harm the World
(North American News) The ex-CEO of Google, Eric Schmidt, warned that the Chinese dictatorship would promote artificial intelligence (AI) development beyond the U.S. Once China controls the global AI technology, it would be a disaster to the world. Besides, he urged the U.S. government to catch up on the pace, doubling the funds on technology development in the next five years.
Schmidt, the Chairman of the Defense Innovation Advisory Board under the U.S. Department of Defense, participated in a seminar on AI technology at Bipartisan Policy Center on Tuesday. He said there is an advantage for the Chinese government as they are huge, single-minded, and adopt a top-down model, which the U.S. government is hard to duplicate. "I am not praising nor supporting them, but I urge you to take this issue seriously."
Schmidt described that the "high-tech authoritarianism" model motivated China to exceed the U.S. in all aspects. "They will have a larger economy, more funding on development, higher quality of investigations, broader technology applications, and a stronger computer infrastructure." He emphasised that once China controls AI technologies of the world, it “might not be a very pretty place to live.”
#US #China #AI #Google #Schmidt #technology
Source: Apple Daily #Aug28
https://hk.appledaily.com/international/20200828/G7KOU233ERC6RI5IAOZRS4Y6AU/
(North American News) The ex-CEO of Google, Eric Schmidt, warned that the Chinese dictatorship would promote artificial intelligence (AI) development beyond the U.S. Once China controls the global AI technology, it would be a disaster to the world. Besides, he urged the U.S. government to catch up on the pace, doubling the funds on technology development in the next five years.
Schmidt, the Chairman of the Defense Innovation Advisory Board under the U.S. Department of Defense, participated in a seminar on AI technology at Bipartisan Policy Center on Tuesday. He said there is an advantage for the Chinese government as they are huge, single-minded, and adopt a top-down model, which the U.S. government is hard to duplicate. "I am not praising nor supporting them, but I urge you to take this issue seriously."
Schmidt described that the "high-tech authoritarianism" model motivated China to exceed the U.S. in all aspects. "They will have a larger economy, more funding on development, higher quality of investigations, broader technology applications, and a stronger computer infrastructure." He emphasised that once China controls AI technologies of the world, it “might not be a very pretty place to live.”
#US #China #AI #Google #Schmidt #technology
Source: Apple Daily #Aug28
https://hk.appledaily.com/international/20200828/G7KOU233ERC6RI5IAOZRS4Y6AU/
#Google Wrongly Displays the Establishment Year of the Republic of China on Taiwan's National Day
On Oct 10, 2020, as Taiwan was celebrating its the National Day, Google also wrongly displayed the establishment year of the Republic of China (#ROC), stating the year as 1949.
Based on history, the Republic of China was established in 1912 following the collapse of the Qing dynasty. The ROC had been run by the Nationalist Government (#Kuomintang; #KMT) with a base in China, until the Communist Chinese Party's takeover of China in 1949. The year 1949 displayed by Google was the time when the KMT was relocated to Taiwan and the establishment year of the People's Republic of China (#PRC), but not the ROC.
Taiwan's Apple Daily contacted Google Headquarters in the US. Google replied by saying that they needed to undergo further investigations in order to come arrive at a conclusion for the problem.
Source: Apple Daily; CNA #Oct11
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/firstnews/202010110200.aspx
On Oct 10, 2020, as Taiwan was celebrating its the National Day, Google also wrongly displayed the establishment year of the Republic of China (#ROC), stating the year as 1949.
Based on history, the Republic of China was established in 1912 following the collapse of the Qing dynasty. The ROC had been run by the Nationalist Government (#Kuomintang; #KMT) with a base in China, until the Communist Chinese Party's takeover of China in 1949. The year 1949 displayed by Google was the time when the KMT was relocated to Taiwan and the establishment year of the People's Republic of China (#PRC), but not the ROC.
Taiwan's Apple Daily contacted Google Headquarters in the US. Google replied by saying that they needed to undergo further investigations in order to come arrive at a conclusion for the problem.
Source: Apple Daily; CNA #Oct11
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/firstnews/202010110200.aspx
中央社 CNA
搜尋中華民國建立時間變1949年 Google調查中
雙十國慶日甫過，網友今天卻發現在Google搜尋鍵入「中華民國建立時間」，竟得到「1949年12月7日」的結果；對此，Google僅回覆：「還在調查當中」。
Peter Thiel criticizes Google and Apple for being too close to China
Tech investor Peter Thiel criticized big U.S. technology companies for being too close to China at a Tuesday appearance at a virtual event held by the Richard Nixon Foundation.
Thiel, who co-founded PayPal and sits on Facebook’s board after making an early investment, is an outspoken voice in the technology investment world is known for contrarian opinions and conservative leanings. He’s backed defense contractors like Palantir and publicly supported former President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign for president.
On Wednesday, the Nixon session focused on China, and he was joined by former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien.
Source: CNBC #Apr07
#PeterThiel #Google #Apple #China #PayPal #Facebook
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/07/peter-thiel-criticizes-google-and-apple-for-being-too-close-to-china-.html
Tech investor Peter Thiel criticized big U.S. technology companies for being too close to China at a Tuesday appearance at a virtual event held by the Richard Nixon Foundation.
Thiel, who co-founded PayPal and sits on Facebook’s board after making an early investment, is an outspoken voice in the technology investment world is known for contrarian opinions and conservative leanings. He’s backed defense contractors like Palantir and publicly supported former President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign for president.
On Wednesday, the Nixon session focused on China, and he was joined by former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien.
Source: CNBC #Apr07
#PeterThiel #Google #Apple #China #PayPal #Facebook
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/07/peter-thiel-criticizes-google-and-apple-for-being-too-close-to-china-.html
#FailedState #PoliceState
#Facebook, #Twitter, #Google Threaten to Quit Hong Kong Over Proposed Data Laws
Image: Stand News
Source: Wall Street Journal #Jul5
Read more
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#Facebook, #Twitter, #Google Threaten to Quit Hong Kong Over Proposed Data Laws
Image: Stand News
Source: Wall Street Journal #Jul5
Read more
⬇️⬇️
#FailedState #PoliceState
#Facebook, #Twitter, #Google Threaten to Quit Hong Kong Over Proposed Data Laws
//Facebook Inc., Twitter Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google have privately warned the Hong Kong government that they could stop offering their services in the city if authorities proceed with planned changes to data-protection laws that could make them liable for the malicious sharing of individuals’ information online.
A letter sent by an industry group that includes the internet firms said companies are concerned that the planned rules to address doxing could put their staff at risk of criminal investigations or prosecutions related to what the firms’ users post online. Doxing refers to the practice of putting people’s personal information online so they can be harassed by others.
Hong Kong’s Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau in May proposed amendments to the city’s data-protection laws that it said were needed to combat doxing, a practice that was prevalent during 2019 protests in the city. The proposals call for punishments of up to 1 million Hong Kong dollars, the equivalent of about $128,800, and up to five years’ imprisonment.
“The only way to avoid these sanctions for technology companies would be to refrain from investing and offering the services in Hong Kong,” said the previously unreported June 25 letter from the Singapore-based Asia Internet Coalition, which was reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.//
Read more:
www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-twitter-google-warn-planned-hong-kong-tech-law-could-drive-them-out-11625483036
Source: Wall Street Journal #Jul5
Image: Stand News
https://thestandnews.page.link/URLxJrLrxBrhxtdD6
#MassSurveillance #InformationFlow #Communication #Doxing
#Facebook, #Twitter, #Google Threaten to Quit Hong Kong Over Proposed Data Laws
//Facebook Inc., Twitter Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google have privately warned the Hong Kong government that they could stop offering their services in the city if authorities proceed with planned changes to data-protection laws that could make them liable for the malicious sharing of individuals’ information online.
A letter sent by an industry group that includes the internet firms said companies are concerned that the planned rules to address doxing could put their staff at risk of criminal investigations or prosecutions related to what the firms’ users post online. Doxing refers to the practice of putting people’s personal information online so they can be harassed by others.
Hong Kong’s Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau in May proposed amendments to the city’s data-protection laws that it said were needed to combat doxing, a practice that was prevalent during 2019 protests in the city. The proposals call for punishments of up to 1 million Hong Kong dollars, the equivalent of about $128,800, and up to five years’ imprisonment.
“The only way to avoid these sanctions for technology companies would be to refrain from investing and offering the services in Hong Kong,” said the previously unreported June 25 letter from the Singapore-based Asia Internet Coalition, which was reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.//
Read more:
www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-twitter-google-warn-planned-hong-kong-tech-law-could-drive-them-out-11625483036
Source: Wall Street Journal #Jul5
Image: Stand News
https://thestandnews.page.link/URLxJrLrxBrhxtdD6
#MassSurveillance #InformationFlow #Communication #Doxing
WSJ
WSJ News Exclusive | Facebook, Twitter, Google Threaten to Quit Hong Kong Over Proposed Data Laws
A letter sent by an industry group that includes Facebook, Twitter and Google said the companies are concerned that planned rules to address doxing could put their staff at risk of criminal investigation or prosecution.
Facebook, Twitter, Google Threaten to Quit Hong Kong Over Proposed Data Laws
Facebook Inc., Twitter Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google have privately warned the Hong Kong government that they could stop offering their services in the city if authorities proceed with planned changes to data-protection laws that could make them liable for the malicious sharing of individuals’ information online.
A letter sent by an industry group that includes the internet firms said companies are concerned that the planned rules to address doxing could put their staff at risk of criminal investigations or prosecutions related to what the firms’ users post online. Doxing refers to the practice of putting people’s personal information online so they can be harassed by others.
Source : WSJ #Jul05
https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-twitter-google-warn-planned-hong-kong-tech-law-could-drive-them-out-11625483036
#Facebook #Twitter #Google #HongKong #DataLaws
Facebook Inc., Twitter Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google have privately warned the Hong Kong government that they could stop offering their services in the city if authorities proceed with planned changes to data-protection laws that could make them liable for the malicious sharing of individuals’ information online.
A letter sent by an industry group that includes the internet firms said companies are concerned that the planned rules to address doxing could put their staff at risk of criminal investigations or prosecutions related to what the firms’ users post online. Doxing refers to the practice of putting people’s personal information online so they can be harassed by others.
Source : WSJ #Jul05
https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-twitter-google-warn-planned-hong-kong-tech-law-could-drive-them-out-11625483036
#Facebook #Twitter #Google #HongKong #DataLaws
#Google handed user data to Hong Kong authorities despite pledge after security law was enacted
//Google has provided user data to the Hong Kong government in response to three requests made between July and December last year, making it the first US tech giant to disclose its compliance with requests from the local authorities for user data after the national security law was enacted last June.
In total, the 42 legal requests it received during the six-month reporting period involved 46 user accounts, whilst the one emergency disclosure request involved a single account.
The tech giant said it still requires the vast majority of Hong Kong government requests to be processed through diplomatic procedures, including any national security law related requests…//
Read the full article
https://hongkongfp.com/2021/09/11/google-handed-user-data-to-hong-kong-authorities-despite-pledge-after-security-law-was-enacted/
Source: Hong Kong Free Press #Sept11
Image: Stand News
#Privacy #Data
//Google has provided user data to the Hong Kong government in response to three requests made between July and December last year, making it the first US tech giant to disclose its compliance with requests from the local authorities for user data after the national security law was enacted last June.
In total, the 42 legal requests it received during the six-month reporting period involved 46 user accounts, whilst the one emergency disclosure request involved a single account.
The tech giant said it still requires the vast majority of Hong Kong government requests to be processed through diplomatic procedures, including any national security law related requests…//
Read the full article
https://hongkongfp.com/2021/09/11/google-handed-user-data-to-hong-kong-authorities-despite-pledge-after-security-law-was-enacted/
Source: Hong Kong Free Press #Sept11
Image: Stand News
#Privacy #Data
#YouTube terminates campaign channel of sole Hong Kong chief executive candidate #JohnLee, citing need to comply with #US #sanctions on ex-official
//Online video sharing platform YouTube has terminated the campaign channel of Hong Kong’s sole chief executive candidate John Lee Ka-chiu, citing the need to comply with US sanctions placed on the former official.
The platform, operated by US giant #Google, made the rare move in taking down Lee’s YouTube channel early on Wednesday, clipping the Beijing-endorsed candidate’s ability to share videos of him meeting different sectors publicly.//
Source: SCMP #Apr19
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3174862/youtube-terminates-campaign-channel-sole-hong-kong-chief
#ChiefExecutiveElection #SmallCircle
//Online video sharing platform YouTube has terminated the campaign channel of Hong Kong’s sole chief executive candidate John Lee Ka-chiu, citing the need to comply with US sanctions placed on the former official.
The platform, operated by US giant #Google, made the rare move in taking down Lee’s YouTube channel early on Wednesday, clipping the Beijing-endorsed candidate’s ability to share videos of him meeting different sectors publicly.//
Source: SCMP #Apr19
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3174862/youtube-terminates-campaign-channel-sole-hong-kong-chief
#ChiefExecutiveElection #SmallCircle
#Russia #Invasion #Ukraine
Google ordered translators to censor the word "war" in Russia
As the Russia-Ukraine war continues, many international companies impose sanctions on Russia to show their support to Ukraine. These companies include Meta and Google.
In late March, #Google has told its Russian translators not to use the word "war" when describing the war in Ukraine, instead of vague terms including “extraordinary circumstances”, according to The Intercept.
According to a translator who spoke to The Intercept, the order applies to all Google products translated into Russian, including Google Maps, Gmail, AdWords, and Google’s policies and communications with users.
Read the full article on #TheIntercept
https://theintercept.com/2022/03/28/google-russia-ukraine-war-censorship/
Source: Unwired Hong Kong; #April
https://unwire.hk/2022/03/29/google-9/fun-tech/
Google ordered translators to censor the word "war" in Russia
As the Russia-Ukraine war continues, many international companies impose sanctions on Russia to show their support to Ukraine. These companies include Meta and Google.
In late March, #Google has told its Russian translators not to use the word "war" when describing the war in Ukraine, instead of vague terms including “extraordinary circumstances”, according to The Intercept.
According to a translator who spoke to The Intercept, the order applies to all Google products translated into Russian, including Google Maps, Gmail, AdWords, and Google’s policies and communications with users.
Read the full article on #TheIntercept
https://theintercept.com/2022/03/28/google-russia-ukraine-war-censorship/
Source: Unwired Hong Kong; #April
https://unwire.hk/2022/03/29/google-9/fun-tech/
A #US Federal Communications commissioner pushes #Apple and #Google to remove #TikTok from their app stores
In a letter to the companies released on Tuesday, Jine 29, 2022, #BrendanCarr, a Republican commissioner, said he believed that “TikTok’s pattern of conduct and misrepresentations regarding the unfettered access that persons in Beijing have to sensitive U.S. user data” violated Apple’s and Google’s standards and that TikTok should be taken out of the app stores...
The Biden administration has considered other measures to keep American data away from China but has not publicly pushed TikTok to cut ties with its Chinese owner.
TikTok has maintained that it is taking steps to keep employees in China from gaining access to its data. Shortly before a recent news report revealed it was struggling to do so, it said it was routing all data from its U.S. users through servers controlled by Oracle.//
Read more:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/29/technology/apple-google-tiktok.html
Source: New York Times #Jun29
#CyberSecurity #DataSecurity #App #MadeinChina
In a letter to the companies released on Tuesday, Jine 29, 2022, #BrendanCarr, a Republican commissioner, said he believed that “TikTok’s pattern of conduct and misrepresentations regarding the unfettered access that persons in Beijing have to sensitive U.S. user data” violated Apple’s and Google’s standards and that TikTok should be taken out of the app stores...
The Biden administration has considered other measures to keep American data away from China but has not publicly pushed TikTok to cut ties with its Chinese owner.
TikTok has maintained that it is taking steps to keep employees in China from gaining access to its data. Shortly before a recent news report revealed it was struggling to do so, it said it was routing all data from its U.S. users through servers controlled by Oracle.//
Read more:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/29/technology/apple-google-tiktok.html
Source: New York Times #Jun29
#CyberSecurity #DataSecurity #App #MadeinChina
NY Times
An F.C.C. commissioner pushes Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores.
Brendan Carr, a Republican member of the Federal Communications Commission, said he was concerned that the Chinese-owned app could provide Beijing with access to the data of Americans.