Hong Kong cyberactivists are backing up articles by pro-democracy tabloid Apple Daily on censorship-proof blockchain platforms after the newspaper was forced to shut down as it became embroiled in a National Security Law crackdown.
The latest drive to preserve the paper’s content comes after advocates rushed to upload documentaries by Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) investigating people in power after the media outlet said that it would remove materials older than one year from its social media platforms.
Under the national security legislation, the Hong Kong government can request the blocking or removal of content it deems subversive or secessionist, raising fears over Internet freedom in the territory.
Photo: AFP
The Hong Kong government has said that use of the Internet would not be affected so long as its use was within the law.
“Law enforcement actions taken by Hong Kong law enforcement agencies are based on evidence, strictly according to the laws of Hong Kong, and for the acts of the person(s) or entity(ies) concerned,” a Hong Kong National Security Bureau spokesman said in a statement.
This year, the firm that approves Internet domains in Hong Kong said that it would reject any sites that could incite “illegal acts.”
Internet service provider Hong Kong Broadband Network said that it had blocked access to HKChronicles, a Web site offering information about democracy protests.
Fearing the national security legislation could bring elements of China’s “Great Firewall” to Hong Kong, limiting access to dissenting views, 21-year-old Ho — who works in tech and did not give his first name because of the sensitivity of the matter — began this week to upload Apple Daily articles on decentralized file storage platform ARWeave.
After midnight, as the printers ran one final time, Apple Daily shut off its Web site and erased all of its social media platforms after authorities froze company-related assets as part of a national security probe.
“I’m not doing this because I love Apple Daily. It’s what needs to be done,” Ho said. “I never thought that Apple Daily would disappear so quickly.”
Police had frozen assets of companies linked to Apple Daily and last week arrested five executives, moves that led to the newspaper printing its final edition yesterday.
Authorities said that dozens of Apple Daily articles might have contravened the national security legislation, but there was no suggestion that Apple Daily content would be blocked or censored.
Similar to BitTorrent, ARWeave breaks down a file into bits of information distributed over an open network of anonymous computers around the world.
On its Web site, it describes itself as a “collectively owned hard drive that never forgets.”
As of yesterday, more than 4,000 Apple Daily articles had been uploaded on ARWeave. Hundreds of RTHK programs dating back to 2012 are also available.
Another programmer, Kin Ko (高重建), 47, has been building a decentralized registry called LikeCoin.
Ko’s initial idea was to create a platform that could authenticate any type of content, and did not expect it to be embraced so enthusiastically by democracy advocates.
However, he said that “history must not be determined by those in power.”
FRAUD ALLEGED: The leader of an opposition alliance made allegations of electoral irregularities and called for a protest in Tirana as European leaders are to meet Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party scored a large victory in parliamentary elections, securing him his fourth term, official results showed late on Tuesday. The Socialist Party won 52.1 percent of the vote on Sunday compared with 34.2 percent for an alliance of opposition parties led by his main rival Sali Berisha, according to results released by the Albanian Central Election Commission. Diaspora votes have yet to be counted, but according to initial results, Rama was also leading there. According to projections, the Socialist Party could have more lawmakers than in 2021 elections. At the time, it won 74 seats in the
EUROPEAN FUTURE? Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama says only he could secure EU membership, but challenges remain in dealing with corruption and a brain drain Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama seeks to win an unprecedented fourth term, pledging to finally take the country into the EU and turn it into a hot tourist destination with some help from the Trump family. The artist-turned-politician has been pitching Albania as a trendy coastal destination, which has helped to drive up tourism arrivals to a record 11 million last year. US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also joined in the rush, pledging to invest US$1.4 billion to turn a largely deserted island into a luxurious getaway. Rama is expected to win another term after yesterday’s vote. The vote would
CANCER: Jose Mujica earned the moniker ‘world’s poorest president’ for giving away much of his salary and living a simple life on his farm, with his wife and dog Tributes poured in on Tuesday from across Latin America following the death of former Uruguayan president Jose “Pepe” Mujica, an ex-guerrilla fighter revered by the left for his humility and progressive politics. He was 89. Mujica, who spent a dozen years behind bars for revolutionary activity, lost his battle against cancer after announcing in January that the disease had spread and he would stop treatment. “With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,” Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi wrote on X. “Pepe, eternal,” a cyclist shouted out minutes later,
A Croatian town has come up with a novel solution to solve the issue of working parents when there are no public childcare spaces available: pay grandparents to do it. Samobor, near the capital, Zagreb, has become the first in the country to run a “Grandmother-Grandfather Service,” which pays 360 euros (US$400) a month per child. The scheme allows grandparents to top up their pension, but the authorities also hope it will boost family ties and tackle social isolation as the population ages. “The benefits are multiple,” Samobor Mayor Petra Skrobot told reporters. “Pensions are rather low and for parents it is sometimes
RSS