Hong Kong's protesters are using social media in a way demonstrating an increased understanding of cybersecurity and how to effectively communicate with the medium.
, with some even demanding full autonomy from Beijing and occasional outbreaks of violence and disruptions to the city's operations.
Social media has been used "as a tool in the battle for public opinion," said Loh. She added that it has become more and more difficult for users and consumers of online content because they have to "deal with misinformation and fake news and the associated damages that can cause."The heightened awareness of encryption and anonymity shown by demonstrators is another thing that is different from the 2014 protests.
Local forums such as LIHKG, an online forum similar to Reddit, have also seen significant year-over-year growth driven by the protests, said Nelson. First-time downloads of that app grew +900% year-over-year last month in Hong Kong, adding 120,000 new users compared to 12,000 in July 2018, he said. The ongoing protests have remained leaderless, without a main figurehead, unlike the Umbrella Movement, where student leaderoften publicly spoke on behalf of the protesters and created organizational Facebook events. He was even named one of TIME magazine's Most Influential Teens of 2014. In doing so, Wong became a target when authorities were looking for someone to hold accountable and was later repeatedly jailed for unlawful assembly charges.
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