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4 September 2019

Why internet censorship would be a fatal blow for Hong Kong PLC, not pro-democracy protesters

by Phil Muncaster

Ever since the British flag was raised over Possession Point in 1841, Hong Kong has played a key role in international trade. To this day it remains the gateway to China, and the wider region, for a large number of international businesses. That's why many will be concerned by new reports of government plans to block certain apps and websites in order to disrupt long-running pro-democracy protests there.

The Hong Kong ISP Association (HKISPA) has released an urgent statement opposing such moves. If it isn't heeded, the SAR's hard-earned reputation as Asia's pre-eminent business hub could be at risk.

Protestors take to the internet


Pro-democracy, anti-government protesters have been hitting the streets in Hong Kong for nearly three months now — sometimes in their millions. Although there have been violent clashes, the majority of protesters are peaceful. They use a variety of apps to communicate, organise and share information.

Telegram has gained plenty of column inches, not least because of a major DDoS attack it suffered in June which was blamed on China. However, Hong Kong's tech-savvy citizens have plenty more tools at their disposal. Some, like FireChat — a novel app which uses Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when there's no mobile signal — were first used in the Occupy Central protests of 2014. Reports have also emerged recently of protestors using little-known Mexican app Bridgefy, alongside platforms like Tinder and Pokemon Go, and even iPhone AirDrop functionality.

That's why HKISPA is right to say a selective ban on certain applications simply won't work. It argued that any censorship efforts would soon escalate as more and more apps and platforms are banned by the government.

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