When asked why they hide their identities, Hong Kong's protesters often refer to something called 'white terror.'
Two weeks ago, a band of masked protesters dramatically toppled one"smart" sensor-packed lamp post and damaged 19 others -- not in retribution for past oppression, but for fear that it might spy on them in the future.
Over the last century, the historic term was used in Asia to describe bloody mass purges in revolutionary China and a period of suppression and martial law on the island of Taiwan. It is now an umbrella concept in Hong Kong -- used by both Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam and pro-democracy youth activist Agnes Chow -- for extralegal intimidation tactics, from police brutality to online harassment.
As dozens pressed around him, his knees buckled and he was half-dragged to a low wall nearby. Teenagers, senior citizens and everyone in between shouted at him, forcing him to delete the pictures he had taken."I want them for my memories," he repeated weakly, making eye contact with no one. Only that evening did the protesters eventually let him wander off, grudgingly satisfied that he had deleted any pictures that could be used to identify their faces.
Clearly frustrated with protesters' criticisms, Yang tells CNN that the lamp posts fully comply with Hong Kong's privacy laws, and that data generated by the posts is analyzed, anonymized and posted publicly, with any raw data instantly deleted. His bureau has also instituted advisory committees to vet the project as it develops.
"We find it not acceptable and deeply regret that a local small enterprise has been doxxed and attacked because of its participation in the smart lampposts project. The incident is a serious blow to the hard work of the local innovation and technology industry," a government spokesman said.
He also cited fears of a less extreme scenario: the extension of China's nascent national social credit system to Hong Kong. The system seeks to grade citizens based on their behavior, for example, punishing some for frivolous spending and rewarding others who follow the rules.
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