https://www.businessinsider.com/mark-zuckerberg-new-data-center-policy-end-facebook-china-plans-2019-3

Facebook CEO and co-founder Mark Zuckerberg wrote in a public note Wednesday that Facebook has decided not to build data centers in countries that have been violating human rights, including privacy and freedom of expression.

Zuckerberg seems to be referring to China, where the social media site is banned and where Facebook has long been working to expand business.

China has strict regulations in storing data in the country, and Apple has already built a data center that complies with these regulations.

Facebook has previously built its first data center in Asia in Singapore, where the government restricts freedom of press and speech.

Facebook had previously confirmed that it had at least four data sharing partnerships with Chinese companies, including smartphone company Huawei, which is under scrutiny from the U.S. government. Facebook had said it would end those partnerships.

Facebook would almost certainly have run into compliance issues if it built a data center in China.

That said, Facebook has already built a data center in Singapore— the company's first in Asia. Compared to China, Singapore has a more relaxed stance on data storage, but Singapore's government has also put restrictions on freedom of speech and press.