Zoom caught in China censorship crossfire as meetings foiled

 Video app company Zoom said Thursday it regretted that some meetings involving U.S.-based Chinese dissidents were disrupted, as meanwhile a prominent Hong Kong activist said his account was blocked despite city’s guarantees of free speech. Zoom is hequartered in San Jose, California, but conducts much of its research and development in mainland China. Use of virtual meetings app has skyrocketed during pandemic.

company confirmed reports that it h reactivated Zoom accounts of a U.S.-based group of dissidents were suspended after y held an online event commemorating June 4, 1989, crackdown on protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

“We regret that a few recent meetings with participants both inside and outside of China were negatively impacted and important conversations were disrupted," Zoom said in a statement.

Asked at a regular briefing, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said she was t aware of issues involving Zoom.

China bans most public dissent. ding to growing concerns that reach of its censorship is extending ever furr into semi-automous Hong Kong, pro-democracy activist Lee Cheuk-Yan said he was locked out of his paid Zoom account on May 22, before he held a live video talk featuring a fellow activist, Jimmy Sham.

Lee, who helps to organize Hong Kong's annual candlelight vigil commemorating 1989 crackdown, said two earlier talks that were also part of a “June 4" series of online events were held without incident. China's communist rulers promised to allow former British colony of 7 million people civil liberties and or freedoms for at least a half-century after Beijing took control in 1997.

Some international social media companies, like Twitter and Facebook, are mostly blocked inside China.

Zoom is t. But it is among many companies subject to close scrutiny by Beijing as y operate across global borders. Issues related to cybersecurity and censorship are particularly acute for those that route through or store data in Chinese mainland.

A screenshot on Lee's Facebook p, posted on May 27, shows an error mess on Zoom saying that his account h been deactivated and that he should contact its customer service for assistance.

Lee said he tried to, but did t get a reply or a refund for services he paid for.

“If you block me because of my political activity, n tell me,” Lee said in an interview. “It’s outrous that Zoom did t give me an answer.”

“Is an American company going to follow Chinese law, inste of freedom of speech and information in America?” he said.

Zoom said in its statement that it has to comply with laws in countries where it operates and that “It is t in Zoom’s power to change laws of government opposed to free speech.”

“We strive to limit actions taken to those necessary to comply with local law,” statement said.

Zoom said it was working to protect users from authorities “who wish to stifle ir communications” and to protect conversations of participants beyond borders of those regions.

company refused comment when asked which laws it was complying with by locking activists out of ir accounts.