Hong Kong protesters cast ‘dark day’ over city’s innovation sector by vandalising smart lamp posts, says technology chief Nicholas Yang
- About 20 lights damaged during Kowloon Bay protests as concerns raised over whether cameras linked to mainland China
- Yang slams people who ignored facts and spouted conspiracy theories to cast aspersions on project, which had been ‘clear and transparent’ from the start
Vandals who tore down smart lamp posts cast a “dark day” over Hong Kong’s innovation sector, the technology minister has said.
Secretary for Innovation and Technology Nicholas Yang Wei-hsiung’s remarks on Monday came as a contractor withdrew from the project, citing threats to the personal safety of its staff.
About 20 lamp posts were damaged in Kowloon Bay during protests on Saturday.
“August 24 was a dark day for Hong Kong’s innovation and technology,” Yang said. “Some people ignored facts and used conspiracy theories to claim smart lamp posts are a privacy risk.
“We have been clear and transparent from the start, but in return, we get damage. We are rather disappointed,” he said.
Concerns were raised over whether cameras installed for functions such as monitoring real-time traffic could be used for government surveillance.