Zoom suspends activists’ accounts at the request of the Chinese government
In May and early June 2020, at the request of Chinese government, video-conferencing company Zoom suspended meetings and accounts of U.S.-based Chinese activists for publicizing the commemoration of the Tiananmen Square massacre. The suspended meetings had a “significant number of mainland China participants” but also included hosts and participants based in the United States or Hong Kong. A statement by Zoom explained that the suspension took place in response to a demand from Chinese authorities, who deemed the meetings illegal under Chinese law. According to the Guardian, the company also suggested it would block any further meetings that Beijing deemed illegal.