Residents rush to erase digital footprints as law gives police powers over online activity
"But Hongkongers, accustomed to decades of
unrestricted access to information, may not be so easily deterred. Since
Beijing announced its plan in late May to enforce the security law, searches and purchases of virtual private networks (VPNs) and proxies to hide IP addresses have soared.
Many
have migrated from Telegram to the encrypted messaging app Signal, and
some residents have turned to sim cards from providers in other
countries. Kwong says it is not just young protesters who are taking
action – her parents recently moved their family group chat to Signal.
“People
are indeed kind of panicked and trying to install VPNs and have no idea
what it can and cannot help,” said Low, noting that volunteers have
been holding workshops to teach residents how to use such tools and how
to better protect themselves.
“I have faith in Hong Kong people. They will not forget about the freedom we once had.”"
