YouTube blocks Hong Kong’s protest song after court orders to ban it in city

YouTube blockedthe access of usersto videos of HongKong'spopular protestsong,days after an injunction to ban the songwas approvedby the court in the city.

“Glory to Hong Kong”had emerged as the anthemsong of the anti-government protests held in 2019.

YouTube said that the company would comply with the removal order andaccess to more than 32 YouTube videos of the song would be blockedafter the songwas deemedto be“prohibited publications”under the injunction.

Any attempts made by users to get access to YouTube videos from Hong Kong on Wednesday (May 15) stated that they were unavailable. A message appeared instead of the video,saying“This content is not available on this country domain due to a court order.”

Also Read:Hong Kong appeals court backs ban on protest anthem 'Glory to Hong Kong'

The court, while approving the application of the government to ban the song, agreed that it can be“weaponised”and used for inciting secession.

How did YouTube react to the banby the court?

In an emailed statement, YouTube,which isowned by Alphabet Inc., said,“We are disappointed by thecourt’sdecision but are complying with its removal order by blocking access to the listed videos for viewers in Hong Kong."

“We’llcontinue to consider our options for anappeal,to promote access to information,”the company stated, further adding that the concerns of human rights organisations regarding theban'schilling effect on free expression onlinewere sharedby them.

As per YouTube, the links to the 32 videos on YouTube will alsonownot appear on Google Search for users in Hong Kong.

Co-chair of digital practice at Washington-headquartered business and policy consultancy Asia GroupGeorgeChensaid that it is worth watching how Hong Kong authoritieshavebeen aggressively askinginternet platforms to remove the song.

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Chen, who was GreaterChina'sformer head of public policy atMeta, said that if the government starts asking social media platforms to remove hundreds of links every day, it will underminethe confidence of investorsin Hong Kong.

“That will hurt HongKong’sreputation as a leading financial centre because we know how important a free flow of data and information means to a financial centre,”Chen said.

“So the government should bevery carefuland be aware of some unintended consequences that may impact its economic recovery andinvestors’confidence,"he added.

Social media platforms, like YouTube, generally have policies for the removal of content on requests from governments.

The demonstratorsgenerally sang“Glory to Hong Kong”during massive anti-government protests in 2019.

Later, the song was played mistakenly as theanthem of the cityat international sporting events in place ofChina’s“March of the Volunteers,”which upset city officials.

(With inputs from agencies)