Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung today said the Government has requested an Internet search engine service provider in writing to put the correct information related to the national anthem at the top of search results.

Mr Tang made the statement at a Legislative Council meeting in view of a recent case in which an online search for some keywords related to "Hong Kong" and "national anthem" through the Internet search engine would produce the top result as a song closely associated with the serious violence and protests advocating for Hong Kong independence in 2019.

He pointed out that the Innovation, Technology & Industry Bureau and the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer have mounted solemn negotiations with the service provider concerned and requested it to address the situation and take serious follow-up action.

The security chief said the service provider responded that it would follow up on the case.

Meanwhile, in tandem with the implementation of the National Security Law, Mr Tang said the public libraries have re-examined and updated the procedures for and guidelines on purchasing library materials and accepting donations of books and periodicals.

Safeguarding national security has now been included as one of the considerations to ensure that library collections borrowed by members of the public conform to the laws of Hong Kong.

Mr Tang added that the public libraries have also completed a preliminary stock review, including publications of authors or publishers that have been suspected of publishing books on Hong Kong independence previously, with a view to ensuring that materials contrary to the interests of national security would not be included in library collections.

Any library material which is suspected of breaching the National Security Law or other laws will be removed from library shelves immediately.

Only when the library material concerned is ascertained upon careful examination that its content does not violate the relevant laws will it be put on library shelves again, he added.