INTERNET FREEDOM: HONG KONG UNDER ATTACK

Hong Kong Broadband Network (HKBN), a major internet provider in the city, announced last week that it disabled access to HKChronicles, a pro-democracy website, after a request by officials who cited the new security law that prompted months of protests.
HKCronicles reportedly “doxxed” pro-Beijing influencers, police, and their families. Reuters reported HKBN was informed about the policy change shortly before the announcement. Sources told the news wire they expect future crackdowns.
One of the main concerns about a new Hong Kong security law, which came into effect on 30 June, was that it was vague, and it likely would take a long time to see how Beijing invokes the law. Hong Kong observers see the move as the possible first step toward Internet censorship in mainland China, which operates the “Great Firewall of China.”
In July, shortly after the announcement of the national security law, President Trump said Hong Kong “will be treated the same as mainland China. No special privileges, no special economic treatment, and no export of sensitive technologies.”
HKBN is a company in Hong Kong that approved Internet domains. The company announced its new mandate requires it to reject any sites that could prompt “illegal acts.”
“The government has the responsibility to explain the justification and the rationale of the action,” Wong Ho Wah, a leading figure in the city’s tech community, told Reuters.
TRENDPOST: We note this story to emphasize the hypocrisy of the U.S. whose media and politicians condemn other nations for censorship, while American’s in the so-called “Land of the Free” have had their free speech censored not only by Hi-Tech but also the mainstream media, which features who they want and sells what they want while banning opposing sides or those with different views. 
Indeed, when the President of the United States, love him or hate him, is overtly censored as has Trump, welcome to the United Soviet States of Amerika. (See below cover of our 16 June 2020 issue.)

As we had warned in “Censorship,” one of our Top Trends for 2019:
Governments across the globe, regardless of what political doctrine they profess, in collusion with social media giants, will accelerate the “Censorship 2019” trend. But the opportunity exists to circumvent the media monopolies by creating alternatives.
Indeed, these are the times for alternatives, but it will take big money to make the big move back toward freedom of speech.