Uber Applied sciences on Thursday halted a plan to maneuver its Asian headquarters to Hong Kong in one other enterprise blow for the Chinese language-ruled metropolis, selecting to increase its keep in Singapore till at the very least December 2022.
The agency’s announcement comes after China enacted a nationwide safety regulation for Hong Kong, which has stirred worries over its future as a hub for worldwide enterprise.
International tech companies there are involved that the regulation provides the Chinese language authorities entry to knowledge and the power to censor content material.
Uber mentioned its determination to delay the transfer, mooted in Might, was primarily based on an absence of progress on ridesharing rules. It declined touch upon the safety regulation unveiled final month.
Hong Kong doesn’t have any laws enacted solely for regulating ride-hailing apps and it’s unlawful for automobiles that aren’t licensed as taxis, or have a rent automobile allow, to hold passengers for a payment.
Uber has been lobbying the federal government for change.
“We’ve seen sturdy public help for reform, however not the extent of certainty from the federal government that we want,” Uber mentioned in an announcement.
“As we proceed these efforts, we’ve determined to maintain Singapore as a regional hub for the medium time period.”
The Hong Kong authorities didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
In the meantime, international tech giants with a presence in Hong Kong, equivalent to Facebook and Google, are evaluating the influence of the safety regulation that provides China authority to demand that they flip over consumer knowledge or censor content material seen as violating the regulation – even when posted from overseas.
South Korean web big Naver Corp mentioned final week it had moved backup servers storing its customers’ private knowledge from Hong Kong to Singapore.
Uber doesn’t present its companies in Singapore, the place it has about 90 workers.
© Thomson Reuters 2020
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