CEO Tencent
Co-founder, Chairman, and CEO of Tencent. Member of the Chinese Communist Party and former delegate to the National People's Congress. Has publicly defended internet censorship as necessary 'online management.'
As a delegate to China's National People's Congress, Pony Ma voted for the Hong Kong National Security Law in 2020. The law enabled the subsequent crackdown on Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement and has been widely criticized by human rights organizations for criminalizing dissent and undermining Hong Kong's autonomy.
At a Singapore technology conference, Pony Ma defended government internet censorship, stating: 'In terms of information security management, online companies from any country must abide by a defined set of criteria, and act responsibly. Otherwise it might lead to hearsay, libel and argument among citizens—not to mention between countries. That's why the need for online management is increasingly urgent.'
In 2018, Pony Ma was appointed Vice President of the China Federation of Internet Societies, a government-directed organization under the Cyberspace Administration of China. The organization is committed to 'implement the spirit of Xi Jinping's Strategic Thought on Building a Cyber Superpower,' further integrating Tencent's leadership with CCP digital governance objectives.