OPINIONS
TAHA SHAFIEI
12 | DESIGN BY KENNETH JEON
investigations editor
THE RIGHT TO ANONYMITY A defense for anti-mask laws in the United States
On November 18, 2019, the high court of Hong Kong ruled that a government ban on face masks during protests as unconstitutional. This ruling marks a turning point to defend democracy in the Special Administrative Region. Yet, it also marks a crucial victory in the battle to protect the freedom of speech and association in all democracies, especially here in America. What many do not realize is that a dozen or more states throughout these United States have also banned the use of masks, or any other form of facial concealment, during a protest or organized public gathering. And that this issue of protecting the anonymity needed to express individual views, as in Hong Kong, is more than likely to grow in significance due to the recent increase in political polarization among the major political parties and the prevalence of new surveillance technologies, specifically in regards to facial recognition and surveillance cameras.
