[Hong Kong version of National Security Act] Several foreign VPN companies shut down Hong Kong servers

Instant International

Written by: Xu Yi'an

2020-07-18 10:16

China's implementation of the "Hong Kong version of the National Security Law" in Hong Kong has caused controversy, and the definitions of some articles have also been accused of being unclear or may cause individuals or enterprises to easily violate the law. Some international science and technology companies such as Facebook and Google have said that they have temporarily rejected the Hong Kong government's request for user information. US media reported on June 17 that companies that provide virtual private network (VPN) services such as the United States and Canada have or are considering shutting down servers in Hong Kong out of concern for the Hong Kong version of the National Security Act.

The US Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC) reported on the 17th that under the new national security law, those who split or subvert the state are found to be sentenced to life imprisonment, but also allow law enforcement officers to search electronically without a search warrant. For equipment, many science and technology enterprises are concerned about the provisions of the laws and regulations, in particular, it contains some provisions that give the government supervision of online content, and require technology platforms and network service providers to delete illegal content.

VPN providers, like other science and technology companies, are worried about the new law. IPVanish, the foundation of the United States, published a blog on the 15th, which called the protection of the freedom of Hong Kong users. It has closed the VPN server in Hong Kong and suspended its operations. Tightening Internet restrictions, unfortunately we have to consider Hong Kong and China as one."

Private Internet Access, based in Denver, Colorado, USA, announced on the 14th that Hong Kong's servers were "eliminated and shut down" because the Hong Kong version of the National Security Act jeopardizes the privacy of users and all Hong Kong residents.

In addition to technology companies, some foreign media have announced that some employees will be transferred to other countries to continue working. The picture shows the sale of several "New York Times" newspapers in Hong Kong on July 15. (AP)

TunnelBear in Toronto, Canada, also criticized the National Security Law on the 13th for causing widespread concerns that the new law would hurt freedom of expression, and the company will shut down its servers in Hong Kong.

ProtonVPN of Switzerland released a blog on July 16, saying it was angry at the "Hong Kong version of the National Security Act", but it still remains on the server in Hong Kong, not only because the company is confident to ensure their safety, "I also believe that fighting for Hong Kong ( action)". The company expressed confidence because the server does not record user activities and does not store data that can be used to identify individuals. However, the company does not recommend users to use Hong Kong servers to handle sensitive content and communications.

Surfshark, a British Virgin Island company, responded to CNBC by email, stating that the company does not have any user information stored in the VPN server in Hong Kong, so it should be safe. But it added, "If the government department starts to request (company) to record user activities, we will immediately shut down the server in Hong Kong.

VPN (Virtual Private Network, virtual private network) is a network technology that connects to "diversion" through a server connection, allowing users to connect to the Internet through a server that is different from their own location. In disguise, they will change their original IP address Hidden, and the content of the browsed website is also encrypted during transmission, so the ISP or website operator will not be able to track the information of the Internet user, and at most you can only see different IP addresses after using the VPN. If some websites are banned due to geographical or legal issues, VPN also has the function of breaking through the blockade, allowing users to "divert" to use foreign servers to access the Internet, and browse restricted websites as usual.

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VPN (Virtual Private Network) Hong Kong version of National Security Law Personal Privacy