Importance of anthem issue should be stressed to Google

The responsibility of search engines for the content they make available has long been the subject of debate. The Hong Kong government is now involved in a dispute with Google about search results. It concerns the national anthem used by the city, as a part of China. Last month, a protest song was wrongly played at an international rugby sevens match in South Korea, instead of China’s anthem.

One of the causes of such mistakes is possibly confusing search results. A Google search for “Hong Kong national anthem” brings up a list of references to both songs. The government asked Google to ensure the correct anthem, “March of the Volunteers”, is at the top. The American tech giant refused, saying the order is based on its algorithms and there is little it can do.

Hong Kong’s leader John Lee Ka-chiu has urged Google to act responsibly and respect the importance of the anthem. China’s foreign ministry said internet companies have an obligation to spread correct information.

Google allows search results to be elevated for advertisers. But it makes no sense for Hong Kong to pay to achieve prominence for references to China’s national anthem.

Legal action has also been suggested. It is not clear how this would resolve the issue. A recent court case involving Google in the European Union required search engines to remove inaccurate content. But the ruling concerned EU law on privacy rights. It is not easily applicable to the national anthem complaint.

Not all of the search results are inaccurate. A downloadable song falsely claiming to be the city’s national anthem is clearly wrong. But the Wikipedia entry for protest song “Glory to Hong Kong”, on Wednesday, referred to it being “dubbed by some” as Hong Kong’s national anthem. Another entry for “national anthem of Hong Kong” referred to the right song. The correct position should be clear to anyone making even a quick search.

Hong Kong may stop buying Google adverts unless national anthem row is resolved

Ultimately the responsibility for playing the right anthem at sports events lies with the organisers. National anthems are of such importance, care must be taken to get them right. It should not be left to junior staff to source a song from the internet.

New rules should ensure further mistakes are not made. A tool kit, including files containing the correct anthem, have been distributed to sports associations. The government must also step up efforts to increase awareness of the right anthem, especially online.

Search engine operators have a responsibility to do their best to ensure the content they provide is accurate. The government should continue its dialogue with Google, stressing the importance of the issue, to resolve the dispute and ensure no further confusion.