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HONG KONG (Reuters) - The company which approves internet domains in Hong Kong said it will now reject any sites that could incite “illegal acts”, raising new concerns about freedoms after Beijing’s imposition of a national security law on the Chinese-ruled city last year.
Holders of .hk domains were advised of the policy change on Thursday, sources told Reuters, hours after internet service provider Hong Kong Broadband Network (HKBN) said it had blocked access to HKChronicles, a website offering information about anti-government protests.
The moves came just days after the arrest of more than 50 pro-democracy activists, and sources have told Reuters that China is planning a further crackdown.
Hong Kong censorship debate grows as internet firm says can block “illegal acts”
Updated:
Updated:
January 15, 2021 15:37 IST
The moves came just days after the arrest of over 50 pro-democracy activists, and sources have told Reuters that China is planning a further crackdown.
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This photo shows the main page of HK Chronicles website, seen in Yokohama, Japan.
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The moves came just days after the arrest of over 50 pro-democracy activists, and sources have told Reuters that China is planning a further crackdown.
The company which approves internet domains in Hong Kong said it will now reject any sites that could incite “illegal acts”, raising new concerns about freedoms after Beijing’s imposition of a national security law on the Chinese-ruled city last year.
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In Hong Kong, the first blocking of a website on the grounds of national security and a policy change on the approval of internet domains have triggered fresh concerns over freedom of access to information – as well as the city’s status as a regional telecommunications hub.
On January 14, Hong Kong Broadband Network (HKBN) admitted to blocking HKChronicles – a website formed in response to the 2019 pro-democracy protests that shared anti-government content and personal information on police officers – after users noticed it was unreachable last week. A spokesman for HKBN told Reuters that access was disabled on January 13 in compliance with the National Security Law (NSL), marking the first time authorities have censored a website under the law since it came into effect in June.
(Add response from HKIRC, corrects second last graph to Wong was running) By Jessie Pang HONG KONG, Jan 15 (Reuters) - The company which approves inte.