YouTube Shuts Channel of Hong Kong’s Leadership Candidate
- Google says it’s complying with U.S. sanctions on officials
- Internet giant’s action spurs debate over Hong Kong freedoms
John Lee
Photographer: Lam Yik/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Google and Meta Platforms Inc. moved on Wednesday to curtail the social media presence of Hong Kong’s sole chief executive candidate, an unusual move to comply with U.S. sanctions that thrust the American internet giants into the debate over a perceived erosion of freedoms in the city.
YouTube shut down the campaign channel of former policeman John Lee’s election campaign channel, citing sanctions Washington imposed on officials allegedly involved in quashing the pro-democracy movement that erupted in 2019. Lee, a staunch supporter of the China-extradition bill that sparked the protests in Hong Kong, was sanctioned in 2020 for his role in curtailing political freedoms under China’s national security law.