(Washington) American elected officials on Wednesday called on the online platform YouTube to restore access to a pro-democracy song from Hong Kong, saying that blocking the video reinforced authoritarianism and went beyond a local court decision .
YouTube said last month it would enforce a Hong Kong court order to restrict access to videos of a political protest song, amid growing concern over free speech in the city .
This song, “Glory to Hong Kong,” is an anthem composed during the 2019 pro-democracy protests.
The court ruling bans the performance and broadcast of the song and lists 32 YouTube videos that the government says are problematic.
In a letter to the CEOs of YouTube and its parent company Google, Republican Rep. Chris Smith and Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley say “the actions taken by your company go beyond what is required by the court injunction and will have a significant impact on the free flow of information and freedom of expression in Hong Kong.”
“We would not want your company’s actions to reinforce the Hong Kong government’s increasingly authoritarian tendencies,” they add.
In response, a YouTube spokesperson said the platform “strongly disagrees” with the court order but must comply with court decisions and “continues to explore appeal options.”
All 32 videos remain accessible to users outside of Hong Kong.