iMAP Hong Kong (China) 2023 Internet Censorship Report

Key Findings

The key findings of the study showed that internet censorship in Hong Kong is mainly affecting websites in the Political Criticism and Government categories, in particular websites related to the US military. 

Unlike many other countries in Southeast Asia, there is little censorship in categories such as Porn and Gambling. 

The most commonly used method of blocking by ISPs is DNS tampering, including effects of censorship from mainland China.

Overview

Since the enactment of the Hong Kong national security law until the present moment, at least four political and dissident-related websites have been nationally blocked on national security grounds. Freedoms of speech, civil society, and pro-democratic press, and publication have also suffered from high-pressure crackdowns from local authorities, as reported in the 135th session of the UN Human Rights committee.

The Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI), Sinar Project, and a group of independent Hong Kong researchers collaborated on a joint study to evaluate the state of internet censorship in Hong Kong. Throughout this report, the team examines whether internet censorship events persist in the country through the collection and analysis of network measurements.

This study aims to increase the transparency of internet controls in Hong Kong. This report is the second of the series, and it highlights the socioeconomic background, legal landscape, as well as the network landscape that potentially affects internet censorship in the country, followed by findings based on the data collected.

Versions of the full report can be downloaded at the links below