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IPFS News Link • China

Hong Kong Government Moves to Censor the Internet

• https://www.theepochtimes.com

Court Bans Online Messages 'Inciting' Violence

Hong Kong has been dealt its first ruling that censors the internet after a court order was issued banning certain online messages.

On Oct. 31, Hong Kong's High Court issued an interim injunction banning people from "disseminating, circulating, publishing, or re-publishing on any internet-based platform or medium" any information that "promotes, encourages, or incites the use or threat of violence," according to a government press release.

The move comes just as Hong Kong braces for another weekend of mass protests.

Two such platforms were named in the press release: popular Reddit-like forum LIHKG and the messaging app Telegram.

The government of pro-Beijing leader Carrie Lam stated that these platforms and mediums "have been abused" to incite protesters to participate in "unlawful activities," such as damaging targeted properties.

The injunction was issued at the request of Hong Kong's Secretary of Justice and the ban will be effective until Nov. 15. According to local media Hong Kong Free Press, a formal hearing for the ban will take place on this final effective date.

It was immediately met with strongly criticism. In a press release issued on Oct. 31, pro-democracy lawmaker Charles Mok stated: "The temporary injunction sets an extremely dangerous precedent for introducing internet censorship of online speech similar to the Great Firewall of China."

Mok added: "It is a serious breach of citizens' freedom of expression and Hong Kong's supposed free flow of information."


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