A man records live with his smartphone during a protest in Hong Kong protest. Miguel Candela | SOPA Images | LightRocket | Getty Images

Messaging apps, live streams

A number of messaging services including Telegram and Facebook-owned WhatsApp were being used by protesters to organize rallies. The large-scale use of Telegram was revealed when one administrator of a 30,000 strong group on the platform was arrested, according to the South China Morning Post, citing his lawyers. The individual, Ivan Ip, was accused of conspiracy to commit a public nuisance. CNBC has reached out to Ip's lawyers but has yet to receive a response. Telegram and WhatsApp are encrypted and in theory should not allow third-parties to snoop on conversations. Several other major social media platforms were used to broadcast what was going on the ground. There was an hour-long live stream on Twitter-owned service Periscope. Users also posted to their Instagram Stories. Even Twitch, a platform that hosts video gaming-related live streams, had content about the Hong Kong protests.

Apparent censorship