Beautiful Virgin Islands

Friday, Aug 08, 2025

Hong Kong security law used to close overseas pro-democracy website

Hong Kong security law used to close overseas pro-democracy website

Israelis Web host Wix was asked by Hong Kong police to shut down a website run by exiled activists. It has since reinstated it and apologised.

An online petition set up by prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy activists that was taken down by hosting company Wix on Monday has now been reinstated.

A letter sent to Wix by Hong Kong Police on May 24 said the website 2021hkcharter.com was "likely to constitute offences endangering national security... namely secession and incitement to secession," under the new National Security Law passed last year.

Under the law, the owner or host of a site where a message is published can be liable for its content, facing the risk of a fine or even imprisonment.

Wix, which is based in Tel Aviv, Israel, initially complied with the request, telling exiled activist Nathan Law that the petition website "was blocked due to a Wix Terms of Use violation".


Wix apologises


But now the company has reinstated the website and apologised.

In a statement to Euronews, Wix said: "The website was removed by mistake. We have reviewed our initial screening and have realised that the website never should have been removed and we would like to apologise.

"The website has been reinstated. We are also reviewing our screening process in order to improve and make sure that mistakes such as this do not repeat in the future".

Former Hong Kong legislator and pro-democracy activist Law told Euronews the incident was his first experience of web censorship under the sweeping and deeply controversial rules.

"I think they [Wix] have a swift response to public pressure," he said.

"I hope they have updated the guidelines of how to deal with these absurd requests from authoritarian regimes and protect free speech without complying with them".

What is the National Security Law?


According to the human rights charity Amnesty International, offences under the law are very broadly defined, meaning there is a risk they can be used as politically-motivated catch-all categories.

It gives security authorities from mainland China greater authority to operate within Hong Kong, an autonomous territory within China.

The controversial law, which was passed in June 2020, obliges internet providers to hand over data if requested by police.

The National Security Law also states that it will apply to non-permanent residents of Hong Kong and to people "from outside" the territory – the provision that brought Wix into its sights.

Beijing says the law is intended to bring stability to Hong Kong, which has seen widespread protests in recent years.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Administration Increases Reward for Arrest of Venezuelan President Maduro to Fifty Million Dollars
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
OpenAI Launches GPT‑5, Its Most Advanced AI Model Yet
Embarrassment in Britain: Homelessness Minister Evicted Tenants and Forced to Resign
President Trump nominated Stephen Miran, his top economic adviser and a critic of the Federal Reserve, to temporarily fill an open Fed seat
The AI-Powered Education Revolution: Market Potential and Transformative Impact
Chikungunya Virus Outbreak in Southern China: Over 7,000 Hospitalized
French wine makers have seen catastrophic damage to vines that were almost ready to be harvested after the worst fires in more than 70 years burned through the south of the country
US Lawmaker Probes Intel CEO’s China Ties Amid National Security Concerns
Brazilian President Lula says he’ll contact the leaders of BRICS states to propose a unified response to U.S. tariffs
Trump Open to Meeting Putin as Soon as Next Week, with Possible Trilateral Summit Including Zelenskiy
Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau spark dating rumors, joining high stakes world of celeb-politician romances
US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow to seek a breakthrough in the Ukraine war ahead of President Trump’s peace deadline
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Karol Nawrocki Inaugurated as Poland’s President, Setting Stage for Clash with Tusk Government
Trump Signals JD Vance as ‘Most Likely’ MAGA Successor for 2028
US Charges Two Chinese Nationals for Illegal Nvidia AI Chip Exports
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
U.S. Tariff Policy Triggers Market Volatility Amid Growing Global Trade Tensions
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
Representative Greene Urges H-1B Visa Cuts Amid U.S.-India Trade Tensions
U.S. House Committee Subpoenas Clintons and Senior Officials in Epstein Investigation
Sydney Sweeney Registered as Republican as Controversial American Eagle Ad Sparks Debate
Trump Accuses Major Banks of Politically Motivated Account Denials and Prepares Executive Order
TikTok Removes Huda Kattan Video Over Anti-Israel Conspiracy Claims
Trump Threatens Tariffs on India Over Russian Oil Imports
German Finance Minister Criticizes Trump’s Attacks on Institutions
U.S. Proposes Visa Bond of Up to $15,000 for Some Applicants
U.S. Farmers Increase Lobbying Amid Immigration Crackdown
Elon Musk Receives $23.7 Billion Tesla Stock Award
Texas House Paralyzed After Democrats Walk Out Over Redistricting
Mexican Cartels Complicate Sheinbaum’s U.S. Security Talks
Mark Zuckerberg Declares War on the iPhone
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
×