On July 6 this year, the Asian country unveiled a new cyber security draft law which was claimed to protect the people’s interests. However, the law have raised fears that it will only serve as a tool for the government to tighten controls on society and craft unreasonable demands on international companies. Sophie Richardson, the China director of Human Rights Watch, stated that one aspect of the law that poses a threat to human rights is the increased online surveillance. If the law is adapted, it will most likely stifle online freedom of speech and therefore, weaken the people’s only means of seeking accountability and transparency.
Source: Foreign Policy
