- U.S. tech companies have restricted some of their offerings in Hong Kong amid growing fears over how China’s influence will affect its ability to maintain an open internet, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.
- Both Google and OpenAI, which has partnered with Microsoft, have limited access to their powerful artificial intelligence chatbots in Hong Kong.
- Disney has decided not to bring two episodes of The Simpsons that contain criticism of the Chinese government to its Hong Kong streaming service, the Journal reported.
Hong Kong has spent more than HK$600 billion (US$76.44 billion) on various pandemic relief programs over the past three years, posting rare budget deficits.
Isaac Lawrence | AFP | Getty Images
Google and OpenAI, which works with Microsoft, have restricted access to their powerful artificial intelligence chatbots in Hong Kong amid growing concerns about how China’s influence will affect its ability to sustain an open internet, the Wall reported Street Journal on Monday.
While the companies didn’t elaborate on the reason, the Journal said observers believe expansion in the city could expose the companies to liability under a Chinese national security law that criminalizes criticism of the government.
The Hong Kong Justice Ministry also recently tried to block the online distribution of the pro-democracy song “Glory to Hong Kong,” citing 32 instances of it appearing on Google’s own YouTube channel. According to the Journal, court hearings in the case are set to resume next month.
Other companies have also taken steps to filter content reaching Hong Kong. Disney has decided not to broadcast two episodes of The Simpsons that contain references to criticism of the Chinese government on its Hong Kong streaming service, the Journal reported.
And Apple updated its web browser’s privacy policy late last year, saying it may be using a tool from Chinese company Tencent to warn Hong Kong users about malicious links, a service the company has historically relied on from Google. Hong Kong users have reported that Tencent’s tool has temporarily blocked access to legitimate Western sites such as Twitter competitor Mastodon, cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase and programming site GitLab.
These incidents come amid a troubled relationship between the US and Chinese governments. Some US platforms such as Facebook and Google do not operate in China due to restrictions on free speech there. While Hong Kong has long served as a hub for international business and allows for a freer flow of information, the Chinese government’s actions in recent years have made the country’s future more uncertain.
The Journal cited a survey by the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong in March, in which 38% of respondents were either optimistic or very optimistic that Hong Kong could continue to have free access to the global internet for the next three years.
Representatives from Apple, Disney, Google, Microsoft, OpenAI and Tencent did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
Read more in the Wall Street Journal.
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