Uber Backtracks on Plans to Transfer Asian Headquarters to Hong Kong

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 no less than December 2022.

The agency’s announcement comes after China enacted a nationwide safety legislation for Hong Kong, which has stirred worries over its future as a hub for worldwide enterprise.

International tech corporations there are involved that the legislation provides the Chinese language authorities entry to knowledge and the flexibility to censor content material.

Uber stated its resolution to delay the transfer, mooted in Might, was primarily based on an absence of progress on ridesharing rules. It declined touch upon the safety legislation unveiled final month.

Hong Kong doesn’t have any laws enacted solely for regulating ride-hailing apps and it’s unlawful for autos that aren’t licensed as taxis, or have a rent automobile allow, to hold passengers for a charge.

Uber has been lobbying the federal government for change.

“We have now seen sturdy public assist for reform, however not the extent of certainty from the federal government that we’d like,” Uber stated in an announcement.

“As we proceed these efforts, we now have 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, world tech giants with a presence in Hong Kong, akin to Fb and Google, are evaluating the influence of the safety legislation that provides China authority to demand that they flip over person knowledge or censor content material seen as violating the legislation – even when posted from overseas.

South Korean web big Naver Corp stated final week it had moved backup servers storing its customers’ private knowledge from Hong Kong to Singapore.

Uber doesn’t present its providers in Singapore, the place it has about 90 workers.

© Thomson Reuters 2020