Hong Kong corporate governance activist David Webb said he will shut down the public database of his financial watchdog website Webb-site.com at the end of October, citing health issues.
In a post on his website, Webb said automated data collection would continue “as long as the code doesn’t break,” and he will continue to put weekly dumps of the entire database and any software updates in the Webb-site Repository on Google Drive.
He encouraged others to take forward parts of the database and publish their own versions under a Creative Commons licence, adding that “perhaps some individuals and companies will be delighted that the lights have gone out on their somewhat dubious pasts.”
All past reports and articles will remain available on the Internet Archive, Webb said, adding that he had stopped full coverage of regulatory actions by the Securities and Futures Commission, Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and other agencies from September 30.
Webb also said he will open a site on Substack with free subscription, and import the Webb-site mailing list of about 33,000 subscribers, where he will occasionally share views “until I am too weak to do so.”
“If this is my last public utterance,” Webb wrote, “then after my loving family, running Webb-site.com and campaigning for the public interest in corporate and economic governance since 1998 has been the joy of my life... I just wish it could have gone on for longer.”
STAFF REPORTER
