Internet censorship in Hong Kong

The government has blocked several anti-government, doxxing or politically sensitive websites after the commencement of the law (see blockages after 30 June 2020), leading to increased concerns of Internet censorship.

Under its Article 43, local law enforcement unit was authorized to censor any resources when handling cases concerning offense endangering national security.

[4] "Section 161: Access to computer with criminal or dishonest intent" of the Crimes Ordinance (Cap 200) which was enacted in 1993 before the widespread use the Internet and the growth of e-commerce generally, provides that it is an offence to obtain access to a computer: Conviction upon indictment of any of these offences carries a maximum punishment of five years.

[9] There are complaints that the proposed amendments prohibiting unauthorised use of copyright material in any medium without permission threatens freedom of speech.

[4] The Hong Kong chief executive may authorize the police to intercept communications and conduct surveillance to “prevent and detect offences endangering national security".

Some scholars suggest that Hong Kong-based academics practice some self-censorship in their China-related work to preserve good relations and research and lecturing opportunities in the mainland.

Those who felt freedom had declined attributed the change to: tighter government control (92%), self-censorship in the industry (71%), interference from Beijing (67.5%), and pressure from the business sector (35.9%).

According to respondents the policies that most affect the decline in freedom are: Spot news information being controlled by the police and the Fire Services Department (57%); releasing more official footage and articles and fewer news events being accessible to reporters (41.3); off-the-record briefings increasing tremendously (23.8); and a government proposal to criminalise stalking (16%).

[13] In March 1995, Royal Hong Kong Police raided all but one of the pioneering local Internet Service Providers (ISP) offering dialup service, confiscated their servers and records and shut them down for a week, blocking the access of 5000 to 8000 of Hong Kong's early Internet adopters.

[16] The images in question, which were explicit in nature, were of the Hong Kong actor Edison Chen engaging in sex acts with various women, several of whom were local actresses.

[17] The scandal shook the Hong Kong entertainment industry and received high-profile media attention locally and around the world.

The police ordered several locally registered websites and BBS management firms to submit information about their clients, and had retrieved the IP addresses of more than 30 Internet users who allegedly posted photographs.

[18] The police crackdown raised questions over violations of the privacy and free speech rights of Internet users and the selective application of the law.

HKChronicles is a wiki-like website that details the personal information of Hong Kong police officers and pro-Beijing individuals for doxxing purposes.

Later, they reported that the official website of Democratic Progressive Party (www.dpp.org.tw) and Recruitment Centre of National Armed Force (https://www.rdrc.mnd.gov.tw) also could not be accessed from Hong Kong.

[39] hkleaks.info blockedbyhk.com goodhope.school Politics English DNS tampering[44] twtjcdb.tjc.gov.tw This article incorporates public domain material from the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.