YouTube said Tuesday it would comply with a court order banning Hong Kong users from viewing a popular democracy anthem, raising concerns about free speech and underscoring the increasingly tense environment for technology companies operating on Chinese territory.
Last week, a Hong Kong court granted a government request to ban the song “Glory to Hong Kong,” which lists 32 links to videos on YouTube. The judges said the song was a “weapon” that could be used to undermine national security.
The court said the injunction was “necessary to persuade” the tech companies to “remove” the songs from their platforms.
A representative for YouTube said in a statement that the company would “continue to consider” an appeal of the court’s decision, but would comply with the order.
“We are disappointed by the court’s decision, but we are complying with its removal order by blocking access to the listed videos for Hong Kong viewers,” the representative said.
Like most tech companies, Google has a Strategies of remove or restrict access to material deemed illegal by a court in certain countries or locations.
Last year, Google received 105 requests to remove content from its platforms, including YouTube, Google sites and its search service, according to the company’s press release. transparency report. Six of those requests related to what authorities considered threats to national security.
In May 2023, Google said, it was asked to remove a Google Drive account that “appeared to encourage participants to submit videos of themselves singing ‘Glory to Hong Kong.’ Google did not comply with the request.
By blocking “Glory to Hong Kong” in the city, links to videos of the song would also stop appearing in Google search results in Hong Kong, according to the company representative.
Since protests rocked the city in 2019, “Glory to Hong Kong” has been a flashpoint for authorities who saw it as an insult to China’s national anthem. The song was banned in Hong Kong schools.
Beijing has asserted greater control over the former British colony in recent years by imposing a national security law that has crushed almost all forms of dissent. Those found guilty of publishing seditious content online have been imprisoned.
In March, the Hong Kong government passed new security legislation that criminalizes offenses such as “external interference” and the theft of state secrets, creating potential risks for multinational companies operating in the center Asian financier.
Compared to mainland China, where the internet is closely monitored and censored, Hong Kong is a relative bastion of freedom. Facebook and
Lokman Tsui, a researcher in Amsterdam at Citizen Lab, a cybersecurity watchdog group, said the government was embarrassed by the popularity of “Glory to Hong Kong” and had gone to great lengths to ban the song.
“This injunction shows that Hong Kong is open for business, but only if you are willing to comply with their demands for blatant political censorship,” he said.
YouTube’s move raises questions about whether other platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram and Spotify, would face similar pressure.
“After Google, the government will now start focusing on other platforms like Meta, where protest songs can also be found on Meta’s Facebook and Instagram,” said George Chen, co-president of digital practices at Asia Group, a consulting firm. in Washington. “I think other platforms might now consider YouTube’s decision to geoblock as a good benchmark.”
Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Asia Internet Coalition, which represents Google and Meta among others, declined to comment to its member companies.
