Microsoft and Zoom have said they will not process data requests made by the Hong Kong authorities while they take stock of a new security law. They follow Facebook, Google, Twitter and the chat app Telegram, which had already announced similar "pauses" in compliance over the past two days. China passed the law on 30 June, criminalising acts that support independence, making it easier to punish protesters.
Apple says it is "assessing" the rules. If the tech firms make their non-compliance policies permanent, they could face restrictions or a ban on their services in the semi-autonomous region. And while Facebook, Google, Twitter and Telegram's services are blocked in mainland China, the same is not true of Microsoft, Zoom and Apple.
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