Hong Kong demanded that a protest song popular during pro-democracy demonstrations be removed from the Internet after a court banned it, judging it was a “weapon” to incite violent protests in 2019.
The case has been closely watched for how it would affect tech firms and Internet platform operators – a concern that has been raised internationally over the free flow of information in Hong Kong.
Wednesday’s ban comes after a campaign by the city’s authorities against the song, which has seen them demand it be removed from Google’s Internet search results and other content-sharing platforms – a request that has been largely rebuffed.
The move is to “persuade the Internet service providers not to provide the convenience and not to facilitate the commission of unlawful acts,” Paul Lam, the semi-autonomous city’s Secretary for Justice, said.
Glory to Hong Kong is the first song to be banned in the former British colony since it was handed over to China in 1997. — AFP
