US tech groups Google and Meta have restricted the social media presence of former Hong Kong security chief John Lee, who is running uncontested with Beijing’s backing for city leader next month, based on sanctions by Washington.
Google-owned video streaming platform YouTube said on Wednesday that it had suspended Lee’s campaign channel, while Meta’s Facebook and Instagram banned payment services by the former bureaucrat despite allowing his accounts to continue to operate.
The restrictions are the latest instance of US companies being caught between Washington and Beijing amid Hong Kong’s crackdown on civil freedoms following China’s imposition of a sweeping national security law in 2020.
Lee, a 64-year-old former police officer who rose to become the Chinese territory’s second-highest ranking official last year, was among 11 mainland and Hong Kong officials hit with sanctions by the US Treasury in 2020 following the enactment of the tough security law. The law was Beijing’s response after the territory’s 2019 pro-democracy protests.
The move by the tech companies to restrict Lee’s social media presence came just over two weeks before about 1,500 members of a Beijing-loyalist election committee cast their votes on May 8. Lee, who earlier this month launched his bid to succeed Carrie Lam as the Chinese territory’s leader, is expected to secure a large majority of endorsement and be appointed by July.
Despite being the only candidate and having the support of political heavyweights and tycoons such as Li Ka-shing, Lee has sought to push forward his campaign by promoting a more approachable image.
The tech companies cited their adherence to US laws when explaining the restrictions.
“Google complies with applicable US sanctions laws and enforces related policies under its Terms of Service. After review and consistent with these policies, we terminated the Johnlee2022 YouTube channel,” Google said.
Meta said that while Lee’s team can continue to run Facebook and Instagram accounts, they would “take certain action . . . if we identify accounts maintained by or on behalf of people on the US Government’s list of Specially Designated Nationals”.
“The so-called sanctions were an act of bullying,” Lee told reporters in response. “Obviously I feel disappointed that I cannot continue to utilise certain platforms, but that will not affect my campaign work because there are many other ways.”
Jane Manchun Wong, a Hong Kong-based app researcher and reverse engineer, said the restrictions were unlikely to have a substantial impact on Lee’s campaign.
“It’ll be trivial for [him] to find an alternative to host his campaign videos, such as his own campaign website,” she said.
Lee last week received more than half, or 786 nominations, from the territory’s election committee when he secured his leadership bid. One of the priorities after he assumes the role of city leader, he said, would be to complete local legislation of Article 23 and expand the scope of the city’s current laws on national security.
