Google Hong Kong should answer for anthem search results, top government official says

Official says she may seek to invoke special powers to summon the company’s heads if invitation is declined

Google’s management team in Hong Kong should be called to the Legislative Council to explain why certain keywords in its search engine did not produce the Chinese national anthem as a top result, a top government advisor has said.

Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, chairwoman of the New People’s Party and convenor of the Executive Council, said on Sunday that she would write to invite a representative from Google to answer questions from lawmakers.

If Google declines the invitation, Ms Ip said she may seek to invoke special powers to summon the company’s heads to the legislature, SCMP reported.

The announcement comes following a rugby game in South Korea last month when the protest song “Glory to Hong Kong” was played instead of the national anthem “March of the Volunteers”.

Videos of the song playing at the tournament went viral on social media, especially in Hong Kong where the song –composed by a local musician and sung during the widespread anti-government protests in 2019 – is highly sensitive.

The song was banned in Hong Kong after Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law following which authorities have been cracking down on those using it.

“The National Anthem is a symbol of our country. The organiser of the tournament has a duty to ensure that the National Anthem receives the respect it warranted,” a Hong Kong government spokesperson said following the mishap.

Korean organisers apologised for the mistake, stating that the wrong song was played since it was a popular online search result for the key words “Hong Kong anthem”.

Earlier this week Hong Kong’s leader John Lee said the Alphabet Inc-owned company has “a moral obligation” to prominently feature the correct national anthem in search results.

“If any company is in any way responsible, it has that moral obligation. There are ways to do it, it’s a matter of whether a company acts responsibly and respect the importance of (a) national anthem in the global context,” Mr Lee said at a press briefing.

While pro-establishment politicians called on Google to correct the issue, Google said it does not manipulate organic search results.

If Google declines the request from Hong Kong’s officials, Ms Ip said she may ask the House Committee to invoke the special powers and privileges to summon the company’s heads.

She added that if a warrant is issued and ignored, it can be considered a criminal offense punishable by up to 12 months in jail.

The Legislative Council’s majority support would be needed to call on the ordinance.

Hong Kong’s Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration Warner Cheuk Wing-hing has also warned Google that the city would not buy advertisements from the platform if the anthem issue is not resolved.