Self-censorship had become a prominent feature of life in Hong Kong. If you want to get ahead in politics, don’t criticize the Chinese government. If you want to get ahead in business, don’t criticize the Chinese government. Even without a social credit system in place, the effect is already present. Wilson pointed out a different, more social form of self-censorship. “Authoritarian regimes are very good at equating ‘political’ with ‘bad,’ ” he said. “So if anyone’s a political person, that means they are some kind of devious or bad person. So you always get the message from the pro-Beijing
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