Hong Kong Protest Song Disappears From Apple Music, Spotify And Other Platforms

The 2019 unofficial anthem of Hong Kong's pro-democracy protests, "Glory to Hong Kong," has begun to vanish from streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and others.

According to CNN, this removal of the popular protest song, which had topped the city's iTunes chart last week, is disappearing not only in China but in some locations overseas, days after the Chinese business hub's local government filed an injunction to ban the tune.

"Glory to Hong Kong" was created in 2019 and became the unofficial anthem of the now-crushed democracy protests in the city, with demonstrators singing renditions throughout the mass protests that raged across the city for months on end that year.

After the song was played in place of the Chinese anthem at several gatherings, the Chinese government said last week that it would blacklist the song for security reasons. Records vanished from Spotify and iTunes on Wednesday.

According to the BBC, critics say the anticipated ban is another sign of Beijing's crackdown and efforts to stamp out dissent in Hong Kong against the central Chinese government.

If Glory to Hong Kong is banned, anyone involved in the broadcast, performance, sale, or distribution of the song, including on the internet, could be charged under the city's National Security Law.

Hong Kong returned from British to Chinese rule in 1997 with the guarantee that its freedoms, including freedom of speech, would be protected under a "one country, two systems" formula. Critics of the national security law say those freedoms have eroded quickly.

According to a writ seen by Reuters, the government seeks to ban performing and disseminating the song, including online, its melody and lyrics, and any adaptations.

The writ also listed 32 YouTube videos related to the song, including instrumental and sign-language versions. The application for an interim injunction will be heard by the High Court on July 21.

The government asked anyone who opposes the injunction to contact police by June 21 and provide their name, address, telephone number, and identity card number.

"Glory to Hong Kong", including its various versions, dominated the top ten in Apple's Hong Kong iTunes Store chart as people rushed to buy the song after the government announced its bid to ban it.

Apple, Spotify, Google, and "ThomasDGX & Hong Kongers" did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, has declined to comment.

Hong Kong does not have its own anthem. "Glory to Hong Kong" has been played mistakenly instead of the Chinese national anthem "March of the Volunteers". The Asia Rugby Association blamed "a simple human error" for its mistake.

Hong Kong's security chief said in December that Google had refused to change its search results to display China's national anthem instead of "Glory to Hong Kong" when users searched for Hong Kong's national anthem, expressing "great regret" at the decision.