Katharin Tai

Have you heard that every person in China receives a numerical score, rating their social trustworthiness? Or that people in Asia have their movements tracked 24/7, which was an important part of every Asian country's anti-Covid campaign? Congratulations, you have been duped into believing tech dystopia fairy tales about Asia, that bear at most a passing resemblance to reality. What are they, where do they come from, why are they dangerous - and what do they say about Western tech discourse?

These myths don't come from anywhere - they're mentioned off-handedly by outlets as respected as the New York Times or Politico, and have become a mainstay on German talkshows during the Covid pandemic. This talk will present some of these myths, debunk them, and then explore what this willingness to believe complete bullshit about other parts of the world says about our tech discourse - and why they're dangerous. Lastly, it will attempt to give people some tools to not be duped as easily in the future.

The people of Hong Kong have been using unique tactics, novel uses of technology, and a constantly adapting toolset in their fight to maintain their distinctiveness from China since early June. Numerous anonymous interviews with protesters from front liners to middle class supporters and left wing activists reveal a movement that has been unfairly simplified in international reporting. The groundbreaking reality is less visible because it must be - obfuscation and anonymity are key security measures in the face of jail sentences up to ten years. Instead of the big political picture, this talk uses interviews with a range of activists to help people understand the practicalities of situation on the ground and how it relates to Hongkong's political situation. It also provides detailed insights into protestors' organisation, tactics and technologies way beyond the current state of reporting. Ultimately, it is the story of how and why Hongkongers have been able to sustain their movement for months, even faced with an overwhelming enemy like China.

This is the story of how and why Hongkongers have been able to sustain their movement so long, even faced with an overwhelming enemy like China. The protestors have developed a range of tactics that have helped them minimise capture and arrests and helped keep the pressure up for five months: They include enforcing and maintaining anonymity, both in person and online, rapid dissemination of information with the help of the rest of the population, a policy of radical unanimity to maintain unity in the face of an overwhelming enemy and Hongkongers’ famous “be water” techniques, through which many of them escaped arrest.