HSBC Threatens to Cancel Accounts if Customers Refuse to Wear Masks

HSBC has said it will “reserve the right” to cancel the accounts of customers who refuse to wear masks inside its UK branches.

The bank said that masks are mandatory in all branches unless visitors have a medical exemptio

A spokesman for HSBC said that it advises its customers: “If you do visit us, please wear a face covering and maintain a safe distance from others. If individuals put themselves or our colleagues at risk, without a medical exemption, we reserve the right to withdraw their account.”

In December, the British multinational froze the account of a church in Hong Kong that backed the pro-democracy movement. That same month, HSBC also froze the accounts of exiled Hong Kong lawmaker Ted Hui, his wife, and his parents, reportedly under the orders of Chinese Communist Party-controlled police.

This week has also seen almost all major British supermarkets, Tesco, Asda, Waitrose, Aldi, Sainsbury’s, and Morrisons, saying they will refuse entry to customers not wearing a mask, unless they have a medical exemption. Supermarkets like Tesco are also demanding shoppers shop alone, and several have said they have hired extra security to enforce the measures.