Name: VPN Providers Disable Servers in Hong Kong to Protect Users from China's Security Law
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VPN Providers Disable Servers in Hong Kong to Protect Users from China's Security Law

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PCMag editors select and review products . If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing.(Photo by Billy H.C. Kwok/Getty Images)Citing users’ safety, two providers are shutting down their servers in Hong Kong in response to China’s new security law for the city.&nbsp;Both Private Internet Access and TunnelBear have decided to pull the plug on the Hong Kong-based VPN servers over fears local authorities will try to confiscate them. “China’s new national security law allows law enforcement to seize servers located in Hong Kong without a warrant and otherwise execute warrantless interception of communications,” Private Internet Access wrote in a on Tuesday.&nbsp;The company’s VPN servers collect no logs on user activity. Nevertheless, indicated it was taking a stand for digital privacy.&nbsp; also said it stores no users’ personal identifiable information over the servers. “If the server is physically confiscated, and the hard drive is taken out for analysis, the entire hard drive is encrypted,” the company wrote in a Monday . The only sensitive information stored over the machines are “configuration related keys,” which TunnelBear wants to protect.&nbsp;&nbsp;Hong Kong-based users will still be able to connect to both VPN services. In TunnelBear's case, the provider is scaling up its VPN operations in Singapore and Japan to offset the loss of the Hong Kong server. “We will reinstate the Hong Kong server if and only if our users’ privacy and safety will be protected,” it added.&nbsp;Under China’s new security law for Hong Kong, local authorities now have broad powers to crack down on political dissent in the city, and jail activists with life imprisonment. to the BBC, people suspected of breaking the law can also be wire-tapped and put under surveillance.&nbsp;As a result, Hong Kong internet users have been to VPN services to protect their digital privacy. However, many residents have been engaging in self-censorship, and past statements they've made on social media on fears Chinese authorities will use the content to one day prosecute them. For now, US companies including Facebook and Twitter are hitting on responding to data requests from Hong Kong law enforcement.&nbsp;UPDATE 7/15/20: said it's keeping the company's VPN servers in Hong Kong online. "At the moment there is nothing indicating that our users are in any danger. All of our servers are either diskless or encrypted, so even a physical takeover wouldn’t compromise our users’ privacy," NordVPN said. "Our customers expect accessibility and freedom, and we are not going to restrict them without a good reason. NordVPN is the VPN of choice in Hong Kong, so we address the issue with the utmost responsibility." The company also has a policy against logging users' identifiable information over its servers.China behind powerful cyber attack during Hong Kong protests, Telegram claimsSign up for SecurityWatch newsletter for our top privacy and security stories delivered right to your inbox.This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our and . You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.Your subscription has been confirmed. Keep an eye on your inbox!AdvertisementEditors' Choice

PCMag editors select and review products . If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing.(Photo by Billy H.C. Kwok/Getty Images)Citing users’ safety, two providers are shutting down their servers in Hong Kong in response to China’s new security law for the city.&nbsp;Both Private Internet Access and TunnelBear have decided to pull the plug on the Hong Kong-based VPN servers over fears local authorities will try to confiscate them. “China’s new national security law allows law enforcement to seize servers located in Hong Kong without a warrant...

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Michael has been a PCMag reporter since October 2017. He previously covered tech news in China from 2010 to 2015, before moving to San Francisco to write about cybersecurity. He covers a variety of tech news topics, including consumer devices, digital privacy issues, computer hacking, artificial intelligence, online communities and gaming. You can reach him at michael_kan@pcmag.com

VPN Providers Disable Servers in Hong Kong to Protect Users from China's Security Law

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