YouTube restricts Hong Kong demonstration theme song, blocking viewing from Hong Kong

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

ユーチューブ、香港デモのテーマ曲に制限　香港からの閲覧を遮断

2024.05.15 Wed posted at 18:15 JST

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（ＣＮＮ） 動画投稿サイトのユーチューブは１５日までに、香港の民主化運動で歌われたテーマ曲「香港に栄光あれ」の動画を香港からは閲覧できないよう、アクセス制限をかけた。

ユーチューブは１５日の声明で、この曲が流れる３２件のリンクについて、裁判所命令に基づき香港からの閲覧を遮断したと発表した。

対象のリンクには歌のない楽器演奏版や、手話版も含まれている。香港から閲覧しようとすると「裁判所命令により、この国別コードでは閲覧できません」などと表示される。

ユーチューブの報道担当者はＣＮＮの取材に対する返信メールで「裁判所の判断は残念だが命令には従う」と述べ、引き続き異議申し立ての選択肢を検討すると表明した。

「香港に栄光あれ」は２０１９年８月に仮名のミュージシャンが書き下ろし、民主化運動の非公式のテーマ曲となった。歌詞には香港の解放や革命など、２０年に非合法化されたスローガンが含まれ、香港政府と裁判所は分離主義的、反体制的な意味合いを持つとして問題視してきた。

香港の司法当局は昨年６月、この曲の放送や配信を禁止する裁判所命令を求めた。当局の訴えはいったん退けられたものの、上訴裁判所で先週認められた。

ユーチューブを傘下に持つグーグルはＣＮＮの取材に対し、裁判所の判断を精査しているとメールで答えた。

Translation

(CNN) On the 15th, the video posting site YouTube had restricted access to a video theme song ``Glory to Hong Kong'' so that it could not be viewed from Hong Kong, the song was sung during Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement.

YouTube announced in a statement on the 15th that based on a court order it had blocked 32 links that played the song from being viewed from Hong Kong.

The links included an instrumental version without songs and a sign language version. If you tried to view it from Hong Kong, you would see a message such as ``Due to court order, in this country code it cannot be viewed.''

In an email response to CNN's interview, a YouTube spokesperson said, ``We are disappointed with the court's decision, but we will abide by the order,'' and said they would continue to consider the option of filing a challenge.

"Glory to Hong Kong" was the original work of a pseudonymous musician in August 2019 and has become the unofficial theme song of the pro-democracy movement. The lyrics include slogans such as Hong Kong's liberation and revolution, which were outlawed in 2020, and had been viewed as problematic by both the Hong Kong government and courts as having separatist and anti-establishment connotations.

Last June, Hong Kong's judicial authorities sought a court order banning the broadcast or distribution of the song. The authorities' lawsuit was initially dismissed, but was upheld by an appeals court last week.

Google, which owned YouTube, told CNN via email that it was reviewing the court's decision.

So, YouTube has restricted access to a video theme song entitled ``Glory to Hong Kong'' from Hong Kong so that it could not be viewed locally. The song was sung during Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement. In total it has blocked 32 links. Yet this video can still be viewed outside Hong Kong.