When the government wants your socials

Endless Thread

WBUR

Reddit, Technology

4.2 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 13 June 2025

⏱️ 36 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Jeffrey Ngo is from Hong Kong. He used to talk about politics all of the time with his friends in group chats and on social media, from casually sending memes, to planning protests.

What happens to online speech when you're unsure how much the government is monitoring your speech, and what the repurcussions will be if they don't like it?

Show notes:

PROFILE: For Jeffrey Ngo, The Fight For Hong Kong is Far From Over (The Hoya)
Social Media and the Hong Kong Protests (The New Yorker)
Hong Kong protesters join hands in 30-mile human chain (The Guardian)
Hong Kong national security law: What is it and is it worrying? (BBC)

Credits: This episode was produced by Grace Tatter. It was co-hosted by Amory Sivertson and Ben Brock Johnson. Mix and sound design by Emily Jankowski.

Transcript

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0:00.0	The £5 pound meal deal from McDonald's.
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0:08.4	That's right, five pounds.
0:11.2	It's not called the £5 meal deal for nothing.
0:14.8	From 11am.
0:15.8	Not available on delivery.
0:16.8	Carbinated soft drink upgrade fees apply.
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0:51.4	WBUR Podcasts, Boston.
0:59.4	Hey, all, before the show starts,
1:01.5	we just want to remind you that we set up secure lines for you to communicate with us.
1:06.5	If there's anything you need to share anonymously or very carefully in this time that we are living.
1:12.6	Yeah, we have a proton mail account that is WBUR SecureTips at Proton.me.
	...

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