Recently, the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) has discovered a disturbing trend of increased harassment incidents targeting journalists. These acts of harassment have escalated in severity, involving threats and intimidation directed at dozens of journalists, their families, or their employers. It is believed that these actions are systematically targeting the journalist community as a whole.
The HKJA reported these incidents to the police on Wednesday (11th), but the authorities have not indicated any intention to launch an investigation. The association strongly condemns attempts to impede and intimidate journalists through threats and harassment, emphasizing that such behavior will not be tolerated, and perpetrators will not be allowed to succeed.
According to HKJA Chairperson, Zheng Jiaru, those subjected to harassment include journalists, media executives from various outlets, several HKJA committee members, and herself. The journalists involved come from different media organizations and cover a wide range of topics. Zheng expressed confidence that following the reports, the incidents are now on record and urged the police to conduct a thorough investigation into the matters involving data theft and intimidation, hoping for swift action.
She described the perpetrators as casting a wide net with their messages, quickly shifting targets if ignored, but in at least four cases, compliance led to intensified harassment. Zheng urged recipients of such messages to ignore them, report to the authorities, and notify the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data.
The HKJA’s investigation revealed a pattern of systematic harassment concentrated between June and August this year, with a notable increase in incidents towards the end of August. Dozens of journalists, their families, or employers were subjected to various forms of harassment and intimidation both online and in their daily lives. The tactics included smearing and threatening on social media, sending emails or letters to their residences, workplaces, or affiliated organizations, with the aim of pressuring and isolating journalists.
The association identified affected parties, including journalists and entities associated with 13 international and local media outlets, two news education institutions, HKJA committee members, independent media, Hong Kong Free Press, and CitizenNews.
Zheng stressed that the harassment was not linked to specific reporting or media outlets, as some spoofed images mentioned legitimate topics such as elections in Taiwan or Hong Kong’s ban on Japanese seafood. The HKJA has recorded at least 15 instances where journalists’ families, employers, landlords of rented premises, and cooperating units received anonymous complaint emails and letters purporting to be from “patriotic individuals,” including charities, schools, and private enterprises.
Each email or letter followed a similar template, with the complainants using different identities to tailor threats based on the characteristics of the target institution. These threats ranged from using formal English to unfounded allegations and defamation for larger organizations, to more aggressive debt collection-style letters with photos of journalists that varied in font size for smaller entities, carrying a sense of intimidation.
Zheng disclosed that she and two family members experienced harassment via emails in late July. The messages accused Zheng’s family of instilling “anti-China and chaos in Hong Kong” and “moral corruption.” Despite her family’s association with a large institution, which dismissed the anonymous complaints as baseless, there were cases where mid-sized entities pressured journalists’ families inappropriately based on fabricated content, drawing strong condemnation.
Many emails implied that maintaining ties with journalists or their families could endanger national security or violate regulations, urging organizations to sever relationships or investigate alleged misconduct by journalists. Additionally, Facebook users began posting derogatory content targeting certain media outlets and journalists in various groups since August, misrepresenting legitimate reporting as problematic or illegal and unjustly accusing them of incitement.
HKJA also uncovered instances of harassers disseminating threatening Facebook posts or altering Wikipedia content, featuring violent and death threats in images associated with HKJA committee members, among others. In four cases, harassers sent screenshots of the harassment posts to journalists’ or their family members’ work emails and personal mobile numbers, along with menacing messages, while at least eight journalists’ households received threatening letters or landlords received so-called “patriotic complaints,” some even sent to other units on the same floor.
The HKJA described such harassment behaviors, known abroad as “Trolling,” consisting of doxing journalists and their families, as a form of bullying that seriously interferes with press freedom in Hong Kong. Involving messages of intimidation or threats, these actions also contain false and defamatory content.
Zheng emphasized that the HKJA welcomes comments or debates, but the recent harassment does not fall under the realm of constructive criticism or debate.
Following contacts made, Meta and the Wikimedia Foundation have initiated investigations. One Wikipedia user using multiple accounts to post personal details of journalists on Wikipedia articles has been banned. The HKJA has preliminarily identified this individual and reported the harassment incident to the police and the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, indicating a potential legal action following the identification to safeguard journalistic freedom and rights.
The HKJA stated that if colleagues encounter similar issues, they should not fear, as these types of harassment and intimidation are not directed at individual journalists but appear to be systematically targeting journalists as a group. The association urged those facing similar harassment to reach out for support, emphasizing collaborative efforts and solidarity to prevent isolation and ensure clarity and understanding in society.
Furthermore, three individuals subjected to harassment were searched by customs officials upon entering Hong Kong in recent months, with two receiving anonymous threatening WhatsApp messages shortly after their arrival. The HKJA expressed concerns about potential data leaks from government databases that might have facilitated harassers in obtaining journalists’ and their families’ personal details, including names, phone numbers, relationships, home addresses, family members’ employers, and positions, information not easily accessible or legally obtainable by others.
When asked about any official connection to the harassment, Zheng noted that direct evidence was lacking, but she urged Hong Kong law enforcement to explain and investigate why journalists received messages shortly after entering the territory, questioning whether perpetrators obtained personal data from government databases unlawfully. Zheng emphasized that a thorough investigation by law enforcement could clarify these incidents, reinforcing that the authorities will take the necessary actions accordingly.
She further queried why individuals engaged in such behaviors and what factors enabled them to do so, highlighting a societal tolerance or enabling of harassment and intimidation, reflecting Hong Kong’s current landscape concerning press freedom and atmosphere. Zheng underscored the importance of public exposure to these incidents and the need for societal and governmental response to prevent continued misconduct.
The HKJA and at least three journalists have filed reports with the police regarding the harassment letters, while at least two journalists have lodged criminal doxxing complaints with the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data. The association urged others facing harassment to promptly report to the authorities and called on law enforcement in Hong Kong to conduct thorough investigations to hold wrongdoers accountable.
Zheng disclosed that she communicated with some Legislative Council members regarding the incidents, with some expressing concern, while others indicated a degree of tolerance towards such behavior. She also reached out to the founder of the “Save HK” Facebook group, Legislative Council member Ho King-fan, who showed interest in the matter, suggesting potential actions to be taken.
On a separate note, a recent survey by the HKJA revealed that some members had experienced similar harassment since 2014. However, the survey was also targeted by malicious interference, receiving hundreds of irrelevant responses.
The HKJA advised journalists to promptly notify their organizations and families upon noticing signs of doxing online targeting individuals or institutions, allowing them to prepare mentally and archive all communications. Based on global experiences, trolling often coincides with cyber-attacks, intending to exploit private accounts for personal data theft and subsequent attacks, posing as the individual or acquiring more personal information to escalate the harassment.
Journalists are advised to avoid posting personal or family photos on social media and enhance information security measures, such as enabling two-step verification, using robust and unique passwords, and refraining from password reuse.
The HKJA urged journalists or their families facing harassment-induced distress to seek assistance from the association or mental health professionals, with arrangements made for emotional counseling services in response to the incidents.