YouTube reportedly said it would comply with an order banning videos of Hong Kong protests against the national anthem from being accessed in the region. protector. The platform’s decision comes after an appeals court banned the protest song “Glory to Hong Kong,” which the largely Chinese-controlled government (predictably) viewed as a national security threat.
Alphabet, the parent company of YouTube and Google, followed its familiar practice of legally complying with court orders that harm human rights while issuing statements defending them. “We are disappointed with the court’s decision, but we are complying with its removal order,” YouTube said in a statement. protector explain. “We will continue to consider appeal options to facilitate access to information.”
Alphabet reportedly told media outlets that the blockade would take effect immediately in the region. It added that it shared concerns among human rights groups that it could crack down on online freedom.
According to reports, YouTube said that links to these videos will eventually no longer appear in Google searches in Hong Kong. I tried using a Hong Kong VPN server while I was in the United States and was still able to watch the video Thursday morning. However, protector Means that trying to view the content from within the region will display the following message: “This content is not available on this country domain due to a court order.”
