Google may face a ban in Hong Kong as China tightens its control.

Google ‘Very Likely’ Faces Ban in Hong Kong as China Cracks Down

Amidst the ongoing censorship of a popular anthem promoting democratic values in Hong Kong, Google may be forced to leave the Chinese region entirely, according to experts familiar with the situation.

A court order issued by Hong Kong’s government on June 6 calls for the embargo of U.S. internet firms, including Google, on broadcasting or distributing “Glory to Hong Kong,” a common song used during the 2019-2020 Hong Kong protests. It also requests the removal of 32 YouTube videos that feature the anthem, the New York Post reported last week.

Xiaomeng Lu, director of consulting firm Eurasia Group’s geotechnology practice, believes it is highly probable that Google will exit the People’s Republic of China’s special administrative region in the near future, as the company previously left the Chinese mainland in 2010.

“This is the same episode being replayed,” Lu said. “It may take a while — it may not be next month. But I think the eventuality will kick in, whether it’s in a few months or in a year, a couple of years. I don’t think this will take five years.”

In 2020, China passed a controversial national security law that allowed the Chinese Communist Party to crack down on protesters in Hong Kong more easily, resulting in numerous arrests. The recent restraining order on U.S. tech firms is yet another example of the city’s diminishing autonomy.

Hong Kong’s government claims that the protest anthem incites “others to commit secession” and aims to ban the song in order to “[safeguard] national security and [preserve] the dignity of the national anthem,” which is titled “March of the Volunteers.” Because Hong Kong falls under the People’s Republic of China, it is also considered the city’s official anthem, according to the CCP.

A court hearing is scheduled for July 21 to evaluate the government’s injunction on the matter.

Google has previously faced pushback from the Chinese government when it allowed the “Glory to Hong Kong” protest song to appear at the top of search engine results in the city. The CCP demanded that Google bury the song’s search results after it was played in place of the national anthem at a rugby tournament last year.

Despite the past noncompliance with the CCP, it remains uncertain how Google will respond to the court order as the company has not issued an official statement on the matter.

A Google representative told the New York Post that the tech giant is “committed to making information accessible to users,” but did not specifically address the upcoming court date in Hong Kong.

If Google were to restrict its services to Hong Kong citizens, it would face economic repercussions from losing an entire market of consumers, which would negatively impact its Android operating system, Google Play Store, and YouTube, according to tech policy consultant Niki Christoff.

“My hunch is that there might be a discussion about a historic stance on free speech versus the business consequences of doing the takedown, and maybe some of the press consequences of doing it,” Christoff said, before admitting Google would eventually comply. “But dollars to donuts, I think they just take it down and continue operating.”

Stefano Bonini, an expert on behavioral finance, also weighed in on the matter.

“The question that I think they’re weighing on the board right now is, ‘Yeah, we have an increasing cost of staying there, but it’s still an important market,’” Bonini said. “‘Do we want to [exit] and totally cede to the pressures of an authoritarian government and curb the freedom of speech?’”

Currently, it appears that Google will comply with the Chinese government’s wishes. As of June, The Wall Street Journal reported that Google, along with other tech giants like OpenAI and Microsoft, were gradually cutting off Hong Kong’s internet access due to the demands outlined in China’s national security law.

In addition to Google, other platforms such as Apple’s iTunes, Facebook, Instagram, and Spotify have also faced censorship pressure regarding the “Glory to Hong Kong” anthem, with reports of its disappearance from these platforms, although it later returned to Spotify, according to the Post.

Source: The Western Journal

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