Hong Kong police were granted vast new powers overnight as part of their new mandate to enforce the city’s sweeping national security law enacted last week.
In addition to the authority to conduct warrantless searches, freeze and seize assets, restrict suspects’ movement, and intercept communications, police can now order platforms and internet service providers to remove content. Refusal to comply with take-down orders are punishable by large fines and imprisonment, as well as the seizure of devices.
“We are already behind the de facto firewall,” said Charles Mok, a lawmaker representing the technology sector, in a tweet.
