Hong Kong police ask Facebook to remove ‘defamatory’ posts on officers’ handling of protesters, leading to accusations force is stifling free speech
- Social media giant appears to blank two written requests from senior officers to purge posts and surrender information for investigation
- Force slams company’s inaction, critics accuse police of interfering with basic freedoms
Hong Kong police have asked Facebook to remove posts containing what they said were defamatory or unfounded allegations about their handling of anti-government protests, leading to accusations the force was interfering with free speech.
The Post has learned the social media giant will not delete any of the posts flagged by police despite two formal requests demanding it do so, which also included a call for the company to surrender all relevant information for investigation.
A message by opposition lawmaker Alvin Yeung Ngok-kiu, of the Civic Party, was among those complained about to Facebook. Yeung said he had simply relayed what television media had reported on the shooting of a student.
Police raised concerns in a letter dated October 9 about posts published the previous month, including one alleging officers harassed a female protester during a car search in Tung Chung.
Another accused police of “killing Hong Kong people” in a campaign urging internet users to file complaints with the White House about what they called “police brutality”.
