Microsoft on Thursday said it will not operate its social network LinkedIn in China stating the “challenging operating environment” as a reason as Beijing reigns tech firms.
LinkedIn senior vice-president Mohak Shroff in a blog post said: “We’re facing a significantly more challenging operating environment and greater compliance requirements in China.”
The US-based company is likely to launch a new website in place of LinkedIn in China.
The firm said in a statement: “While we are going to sunset the localised version of LinkedIn in China later this year, we will continue to have a strong presence in China to drive our new strategy and are excited to launch the new InJobs app later this year.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, Chinese internet regulators had given a deadline to LinkedIn to better supervise content on the site.
LinkedIn, which entered the Chinese market in 2014, allows people to use personal and professional relationships to find job opportunities.
In order to operate in China, Microsoft has to adhere to the rules of the Chinese government, so when it came to China it promised to be transparent about its working in the country and said it disagreed with government censorship.
Recently, LinkedIn blacklisted many journalist accounts like those of Melissa Chan and Greg Bruno, from its China-based website.
Mr Bruno, who has authored a book about China’s treatment of Tibetan refugees, told Verdict the Chinese Communist Party decision did not surprise him but was “dismayed that an American tech company is caving into the demands of a foreign government”.
Chinese authorities have been showing a tough stance on tech companies for alleged monopolistic practices and aggressive harvesting of consumer data.
Chinese authorities have taken a hard line against tech companies for suspected monopolistic behaviour and aggressive data gathering.
The campaign is part of a broader government strategy to strengthen its control over the world’s second-largest economy, which includes a focus on private education, real estate, and casinos.
Facebook and Twitter have already been banned in China for over 10 years.
Google stopped doing its business in China in 2010 in response to a hacking attack and censorship.
However, e-commerce giant Amazon operates in China, but the market is led by local players such as Alibaba and JD.com.