Telecom operators cooperate to block websites at their discretion, Ronny Tong says; no law grants such power
指電訊商按意願配合封網 湯家驊：非法例賦權
As police continue investigating the JPEX case, they have reportedly, in an unusual move, asked local telecommunications operators to block access to the JPEX official website and app. Records show that police and telecommunications operators have a mechanism to block users from logging into suspected scam websites, prompting concern from former Legislative Council information technology sector lawmaker Charles Mok that the mechanism could be abused. Executive Council member and Senior Counsel Ronny Tong said that, apart from the National Security Law and the Emergency Regulations Ordinance, Hong Kong currently has no law empowering authorities to “block websites”. He said the incident did not involve the police exercising “power”, but was merely cooperation with telecommunications operators based on “good will”, and believed it would be difficult for Hong Kong to legislate for website blocking.
警方連日調查JPEX案，據悉亦罕有要求本地電訊商封鎖JPEX官網及應用程式。翻查資料，警方與電訊商有機制阻截用戶登入懷疑詐騙網站，立法會資訊科技界前議員莫乃光關注機制或被濫用。行會成員兼資深大律師湯家驊表示，本港除《港區國安法》及《緊急法》外，暫無法例賦權「封網」，認為今次事件不涉警方運用「權力」，僅是與電訊商基於「你好我好」（good will）意願合作，相信本港要立法封網有困難。