China’s Security Law: Impact on Hong Kong

Why in news?

China’s national security law gave it a wide-range of powers over Hong Kong.

What is the history?

Hong Kong was under British rule until 1997.
Then, the territory was given to China under the condition that it retains some autonomy, including its economic system, for 50 years.
As the Chinese firewall took hold, several technology companies were shut out, including Google and Facebook.
But with the quasi-independence afforded by “one country, two systems”, Hong Kong was integrated into the global Internet.
Global tech companies were able to operate close to China without being subject to the country’s laws.

What is the new national security law?

The law was put into effect without the involvement of the local institutions.
It criminalises activities like secession, subversion and, organization and perpetration of terrorist activities.
It also criminalises collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security.
Some specific offences include damaging government buildings and lobbying against the Chinese government.
The law also allows a National Security Committee to investigate and prosecute violators.

What are the provisions of the law on the tech front?

On the technology front, the new surveillance and censorship rules could subsume the territory into China’s Great Firewall.
The Hong Kong Police are given extensive new controls to censor Internet content, track people online, and seize electronic records.
They can investigate Internet platforms and their data as well as order its deletion.
Penalties for the companies include fines up to nearly $13,000 and six months jail time.

How have tech companies reacted?

Major tech companies have suspended their responses to Hong Kong government requests.
They said that they would first reassess the law’s new controls.
They have to decide on whether to accept the new data-sharing and censorship requirements of the law or leave the territory altogether.
Their decisions will have significant weight on Hong Kong’s future as an international business hub, and on digital free speech as a whole.

What is the key takeaway?

This marks yet another step of national border disputes erecting new virtual walls between territories.
These government decisions may lead to the creation of a “splinternet”.
[Splinternet is a characterization of the Internet as dividing due to various factors, such as technology, commerce, politics, nationalism, religion, and interests.]

Source: The Indian Express