 |
| A woman walks past a poster for the National Security Law in Hong Kong. (Photo by=AFP/Anthony Wallace) |
[Asia News Communication = Reporter Reakkana] The company which approves Internet domains in Hong Kong said it will now reject any sites that could incite "illegal acts," raising new concerns about freedoms after Beijing's imposition of a national security law on the Chinese-ruled city last year.
Holders of .hk domains were advised of the policy change late on Thursday (Jan 14), sources told Reuters, hours after Internet service provider Hong Kong Broadband Network (HKBN) said it had blocked access to HKChronicles, a website offering information about anti-government protests. The moves came just days after the arrest of over 50 pro-democracy activists, and sources have told Reuters that China is planning a further crackdown. HKBN said it had blocked the website, which also publishes personal information on Hong Kong police officers, in compliance with the national security law, the first such censorship in the city of its kind.
The moves are fuelling worries that a censorship mechanism similar to China's "Great Firewall" is being put in place in Hong Kong. China Mobile and PCCW, the other major Internet providers in Hong Kong, did not respond to Reuter's requests for comment. Wong Ho Wah, who is running for Hong Kong's legislature to represent the information technology sector, said he was deeply worried that freedom to access information on the Internet was starting to be affected.
