In June 2020, a new national security law for Hong Kong was unanimously ratified by China’s top legislature. The details of the 66 articles of the law specify the criminalization of any act of “secession” or separation from the country, “subversion” or the sabotage of the central government’s power or authority, “terrorism” or the commitment of acts of violence or intimidation against others, and the collusion with foreign or external forces.
The law also grants law enforcement agencies the authority to remove internet content or access user data without a judicial warrant. In response to the Hong Kong government’s unprecedented and unconstrained executive powers, major online companies such as WhatsApp, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google have blocked processing requests for user data from the Hong Kong government.