back to article Hong Kong protest puts mesh nets to the test in state censorship smash

Protesters in Hong Kong have turned to the FireChat app to communicate electronically – because it uses mesh wireless networking and thus evades any attempt by the authorities to block the web amid ongoing unrest. Multiple reports from the area note how youngsters taking part in the uprising this week have connected with one …

  1. Vociferous

    Cell phone jammers deployed in 3... 2... 1...

    OBEY

    1. DarkWalker

      Re: Cell phone jammers deployed in 3... 2... 1...

      I might be wrong, but I believe Bluetooth, due to its short range and the way it handles interference, is nearly impossible to jam on a wide area. Not without spending a huge amount of money and power in equipment and jamming about every radio and wireless device — including those that might be in use by government or law enforcement forces — in the same area, anyway.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    There's actually no "Chinese" censorship in Hong Kong, the internet here is freely open unlike the mainland (where Instagram was actually blocked). There were initial rumours that the data network was going to be cut in the protest area which is what started the Firechat downloads but this never happened. More that case that the networks are struggling under the demand of 100s of 1000s of people in the small area.

  3. razorfishsl

    Even the Daily TV news is not censored, plus we have several Live feeds of the protests on various channels.

    The only problem is a number of scumbags who keep appearing on various live TV feeds, trying to incite the crowd.

    The police were very clear that if the protests turned violent then they would pepper spray/tear gas any areas, plus if you read Chinese you will see the police deploying warning signs that they are about to deploy UNLESS the rioters calm down.

    People talk like it was a big surprise….. but you will notice from DAY1 there were a contingent in the crowd with Cling-film and safety goggles, plus full bio face masks of the same make as the police.

    They had every intention of goading the police into deploying tear gas ,because it looks good, no one wants to watch 'suppression of the people' if there is not active 'suppression'

    The keyword is peaceful protest, but once scumbags start smashing up doors and trashing government buildings or throwing crowd control gates at police, then they deserve everything they get.

    Several of these scumbags already have criminal records for physical abuse and destruction of property.

    1. Mark 85

      Funny thing about "peaceful protests" going bad, isn't it? We see the same thing here in the States. All it takes a small handful to turn a peaceful assembly into a riot and naturally the police get the blame.

      1. Random Q Hacker

        False Flags

        Of course, sometimes the more violent protestors are actually police in disguise, trying to entrap other protestors or justify breaking up the protest. A few were caught on tape during G8 meetings, running back to their cop buddies after they got outed by peaceful protestors!

    2. Allan George Dyer

      What incitement? The protest leaders have been very clear about being non-violent, instructing protesters to show they are unarmed (hands in air) and retreat when threatened. Trouble started when the police surrounded protesters in a small area.

      Now the police have retreated, the protesters are calm, peaceful and tidying up, recycling rubbish.

  4. Anonymous Dutch Coward
    Black Helicopters

    Freedom fighters versus paedophiles

    Encryption by Hong Kong student protesting = good (see article)

    Encryption by US citizens going about their lawful business = bad (US Govt; see earlier article)

    No contradiction here, no none at all...

    And yes, I know the company behind Firechat <> US Govt but still, US Navy did sponsor Tor whose goals include overseas dissidents communicating encrypted (given recent revalations: ...but who knows with what NSA backdoor).

    Cynical? Me? Nah.

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