Defiance and unease on Hong Kong’s internet as national security law looms
- Internet users are warning each other to delete social media posts critical of Beijing and the city’s authorities
- Others vow to take to the streets in protest despite police ban
A mood of defiance and apprehension has descended upon Hong Kong’s outspoken netizens a day before Beijing’s sweeping national security law for the city is set to go into effect.
On Tuesday, China’s top law-making authority approved the legislation, which prohibits acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces that endanger national security. The new law has stoked fears of increased censorship and surveillance in a city that has long enjoyed freedom of speech.
On the forum LIHKG, some users have been calling on each other to delete old posts. The Reddit-like platform where users post anonymously has been popular with anti-government protesters organizing rallies. Colorful comments and artwork criticizing Beijing have been a common sight, but now some people are worried that things they’ve posted in the past could come back to haunt them.
“Will [the founder of LIHKG] consider deleting posts for all LIHKG users?” one user wrote hours after news broke of the law’s passage.
“The national security law is here, please delete posts,” another read.
