YouTube blocks protest anthem in Hong Kong after court order

The Google subsidiary said it would comply with last week’s court order but said it was disappointed by the decision

YouTube has said it will comply with a court decision and block access inside Hong Kong to 32 videos deemed prohibited content, in what critics say is a blow to freedoms in the financial hub amid a security clampdown.

The action follows a government application granted by Hong Kong’s court of appeal requesting the ban of a protest anthem called Glory to Hong Kong. The judges warned that dissidents seeking to incite secession could weaponise the song for use against the state.