SOPA members National Security survey

SOPA members outline concerns in light of planned Hong Kong Security Law

In a recent survey of members, the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) has found that concern for press freedoms and legal structures in Hong Kong is rising.

While many details are yet to be outlined, the recent announcement of a planned Security Law for Hong Kong prompted SOPA to canvass opinion on the development, via a poll that revealed:

• 95 percent of respondents declared themselves to be, at a minimum, ‘concerned’ about potential impact of the National Security Law on business, with 55 percent saying that they were ‘very concerned’.
• 80 percent of respondents thought that the law would be harmful to their Hong Kong business operations.
• Data security is a primary concern for members, 55 percent of those polled saying that they would consider moving their data operations out of the territory.
• Among those who said they were considering moving operations, corporate domicile, journalists or data, the leading choice was Taipei (41 percent) followed by Singapore (36 percent).

There were also clear concerns for how the law could potentially impact on Hong Kong’s judicial independence.

• 67 percent felt that the new law would erode Hong Kong’s judicial autonomy.

Alongside the potential harm to business operations, the retention and attraction of talent to Hong Kong has also been thrown into doubt:

• Just under 60 percent of respondents feared a talent drain and staffing issues arising from the enactment of the proposed law.

 

About the survey

The results of this survey were gathered following consultation with SOPA’s membership (28 registered corporate members) and received 40 responses from membership organisations.