Journalists who fear becoming the target of spying by law enforcers should get out of the office and meet their sources in person, preferably in noisy environments, a forum was told yesterday.
Reporters were also advised to use codes or shorthand instead of writing complete sentences while taking notes.
'The best way to avoid being tapped is to avoid using the telephone,' private detective David Cheung Tai-wai told at a Hong Kong Journalists Association forum for reporters on how to avoid being tapped.
'Meeting news sources in a bar is a good way. It is dim and noisy, making surveillance difficult. It might sound primitive, but it works.'
While there were anti-tapping devices available on the market, Mr Chan said they were not foolproof.
The forum was called following the passage of the covert surveillance law, which critics say allows the government to spy on anyone it wants to.