From Facebook and Twitter to Telegram, WhatsApp and Signal: how protest technology has evolved since Occupy Central
- Encrypted messenger apps used by protesters to organise themselves, share intelligence and avoid police detection
- But police arrest a Telegram group administrator on suspicion of conspiracy to commit public nuisance
As thousands of demonstrators occupied major routes in the heart of Hong Kong on Wednesday, messaging apps such as Telegram, WhatsApp and Signal emerged as the key tools for agitators to coordinate their operations.
Their role in the protests was highlighted when the administrator of a Telegram group was arrested for conspiracy to commit public nuisance, after police turned up at his home on Tuesday night.
The basis of the allegations against Ivan Ip, who is in his 20s and managed a conversation involving 30,000 members, is that he plotted with others to charge the Legislative Council Complex and block neighbouring roads.
Other young people, including high school students, used encrypted messages to exchange details on how and where to best target their anger.
Protesters circulated pleas on Telegram groups, requesting additional supplies such as riot gear and first aid kits. Some of these groups have tens of thousands of members.