Social Mixer 2024 Singapore
marketing interactive Content360 Singapore 2024 Content360 Singapore 2024
PayPal HK reportedly halts services for pro-democracy group due to 'excessive risks'

PayPal HK reportedly halts services for pro-democracy group due to 'excessive risks'

share on

 

PayPal Hong Kong has reportedly suspended services for a local pro-democracy group, the League of Social Democrats (LSD) due to “excessive risks”.

According to a statement on the group’s Facebook page on 12 October, the group stated that PayPal HK has sent an anonymous email claiming that “upon review of your account we have determined there to be excessive risks involved. This matter has been reviewed at length, and our decision is final.” However, PayPal HK didn’t specify what kinds of “excessive risks” were involved.

The group also said they can only urge supporters to switch to other donation methods such as Payme, bank transfer, by cheque or monthly credit card donations.

paypal lsd

In a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Dickson Chow Ka Fat, the external vice-chairperson of the LSD said that the group had received several thousand Hong Kong dollars monthly via PayPal. "We've been using several different platforms, so the incident has not made huge impact on us, however this would lead to newer styles of obstacles for running a pro-democratic group in Hong Kong," said Chow. 

Chow also said that the group has been disabled to accept any new payments or receive monthly donations via its PayPal account, however the remaining cash in the account can still be withdrawn. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to PayPal HK for a statement. 

Meanwhile, the group has demonstrated outside the Civic Square on 12 October, urging the city's leader John Lee to respond to public opinion and lift the covid restrictions and other social distancing measures. After the event, the government refused to accept the demonstration props. Then Tsang Kin Shing, a member of the group was fined HK$1,500 according to the fixed penalty (Public Cleaniness and Obstruction) Ordinance.

The LSD is one of the few pro-democracy groups in Hong Kong that has remained active after the city's implementation of the National Security Law, as more than 50 civil society groups have dissolved. Earlier this year, members of the league claimed that they were warned not to “do anything” by national security police before the handover anniversary, and received police enquiries as to their plans for National Day.

Related articles:

PayPal study: Merchants looking to enter the HK should strike now
PayPal to expand Singapore workforce by 25%, 150 jobs open

 

share on

Follow us on our Telegram channel for the latest updates in the marketing and advertising scene.
Follow

Free newsletter

Get the daily lowdown on Asia's top marketing stories.

We break down the big and messy topics of the day so you're updated on the most important developments in Asia's marketing development – for free.

subscribe now open in new window