Pictures from the protests show how many of the protesters are using green laser pointers as they aim at police cameras.

The reason is simply that they do not want their faces to be captured on image and can be identified with the help of face recognition programs, Independent writes.

Some protesters also use the laser to temporarily dazzle police. Those who are identified and arrested run the risk of imprisonment of up to ten years for riots.

Uses technology as protection

This is not the first time that protesters in Hong Kong have been using technology as a protection from Chinese authorities. Previously, virtual private networks have been used on their phones to hide their identity and encrypted messaging services to communicate.

However, the messaging service mainly used, Telegram, has been down for Hong Kong residents since June. The service's servers should then have been subjected to a major cyber attack, which, according to the company's CEO Pavel Durov, went to track to China.