YouTube has agreed to comply with a court order in Hong Kong to block access to videos of the banned protest song 'Glory to Hong Kong'. The Hong Kong Court of Appeal ruled that the song is illegal to sing or play in the city, stating that the song's composer intended for it to be used as a 'weapon'. The ban covers anyone who promotes Hong Kong's independence or misrepresents the song as the city's official anthem. YouTube will block access to 32 videos of the song in Hong Kong [26b6253e].
This decision by YouTube comes after the court order was issued, which listed 32 YouTube videos related to the protest song that the government deemed problematic. The court order banned acts such as performing and broadcasting the song with subtitles. YouTube confirmed that it would restrict access to those 32 videos from Hong Kong users. The case has raised concerns about free speech and the flow of information in Hong Kong. The United States has criticized the ban, while Beijing authorities defended it as a necessary measure for national security. Digital rights researcher Lokman Tsui and human rights group FORUM-ASIA have expressed disappointment and concern over the court order, with Tsui calling it a blatant request for political censorship [368141d0].
The ban on the protest song is part of a broader crackdown on dissenting voices in Hong Kong since the implementation of the sweeping security law in 2020. The law has led to the arrest and imprisonment of pro-democracy advocates and stifled civil society in Hong Kong [26b6253e].
Despite the tightening control over Hong Kong by the Chinese central government, the city remains relatively open compared to mainland China, with most Western platforms and services still available. The Chinese government may not want to establish the Great Firewall in Hong Kong due to the city's value as a financial hub. However, recent legal actions, such as the court order to block access to the protest song videos, indicate a desire for control while leaving some breathing space and negotiating with platforms. The government is unlikely to request a global removal of the anthem videos from YouTube but may ask for geo-blocking specifically in Hong Kong. The court decision may have a chilling effect on internet freedom in Hong Kong [368141d0].
The responses to the court decision are still unfolding, with some videos already taken down. The court case has had a chilling effect, with entities outside Hong Kong proactively enabling geo-blocking. The future of internet freedom in Hong Kong remains uncertain [368141d0].
Four years after the 2019 protests, the Hong Kong government has legally restricted the performance and distribution of the protest anthem 'Glory to Hong Kong'. The song, which was released on YouTube in 2019 and became popular during the protests, called for democracy and freedom but did not mention independence. The government won at the appeals court to ban certain acts linked to the song. YouTube geo-blocked a few dozen versions of the song in compliance with the legal ruling. The song has been confused with the national anthem of Hong Kong and has been mistakenly played at sporting events. Google was singled out for listing the song as the national anthem in search results. The ban brought more attention to the song, with it dominating the iTunes top 10 in Hong Kong. The composer of the song anticipated the ban and believes the song will not disappear completely [3c110f87].