Friday 23rd March 2018

Dear Reader,

NEW ARTICLE
Facebook, Big Brother and China
The political and media furore over external use of Facebook data misses the point. Facebook, Google and other internet giants know far more about their users than any app developer ever will. Facebook offers its own political ad-targeting service based on its analysis of users' data, just part of its over US$40bn of annual monetisation of users through advertising. It's a price that users appear willing to pay for the services, but in authoritarian states like China, with it's pending "Social Credit System" that poses a far bigger threat to society. (23-Mar-2018)

RECENTLY ON WEBB-SITE
Hong Kong's not-so-free economy
The US-based Heritage Foundation has, as always, ranked HK as the freest economy in the World. For once, the Government doesn't accuse foreign forces of interfering in HK's internal affairs. But this rosy view is not held by those who take the time to study the domestic economy. Here are a few things that Heritage may have overlooked. (4-Feb-2018)

IN OTHER NEWS
Webb on "Backchat" re taxing vacant flats
RTHK, 19-Mar-2018

HKSAR v Donald Tsang Yam Kuen
HK Court of First Instance, 6-Mar-2018
Justice Andrew Chan slams the ex-CE for failure to cooperate with the ICAC despite public promises to do so. 1/3 of an estimated HK$15m of prosecution costs in trial 1 are awarded against him. After conviction for misconduct in public office and a hung jury on a bribery charge, he was tried again on that charge and the new jury hung again. It now emerges that in an attempt to influence the jury in trial 2, a PR firm or consultant rustled up the great and good to sit in a reserved section of the public gallery. We note that many of them are the same staunch Catholics from across the political spectrum who attended a church service to pray for him after his conviction. Amongst the congregation was CE-elect Carrie Lam, who now has the power to pardon him.

Rafael Hui Si Yan and Thomas Kwok Ping Kwong stripped of honours
HK Gazette, 2-Mar-2018
Gongs gone. Hui is also no longer an Honorary Steward of the Jockey Club. Both have also been removed as Justices of the Peace, so they can't visit themselves in jail.

SFC obtains disqualification and compensation orders against former chairman and directors of Karce (1159) | Karce chairman extracted hidden fee
SFC, 27-Feb-2018
Webb-site blew the whistle on this case on 21-Jan-2011, in our article "Karce chairman extracted hidden fee" above. The company is now called Starlight Culture Entertainment Group Ltd. In our view, the Chairman was lucky not to face criminal prosecution.

And much more besides...
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David M. Webb
Editor, Webb-site.com