The last of the major American social networks still present in China, LinkedIn, announced Thursday, October 14, to abandon the market, increasingly controlled by the state. “ We are facing a difficult operating environment and greater requirements for compliance with regulations in force in China. “, Justified the service, owned by Microsoft.
The latter launched in 2014 a more limited version of its platform for the Chinese market, integrating censorship tools, mandatory to operate in the country. But LinkedIn’s efforts to satisfy Beijing put it at odds in the United States, where criticism was mounting against attacks on freedom of expression.
This decision comes as, for a year, the Chinese authorities have further tightened the control of digital companies, multiplying regulatory measures, fines and calls to order of large groups and their bosses. In particular, a law on the protection of personal data strengthens government control over the data of these firms.
In March 2021, LinkedIn temporarily froze customer registration, officially to comply with new rules. According to the New York Times, the company had just been called to order for content circulating on the site and deemed subversive by Beijing. Since then, LinkedIn had suspended in China the accounts of many activists, journalists and researchers from all countries, simply informing them that their profiles included “Prohibited content”.
“Great Digital Wall”
Microsoft will replace LinkedIn with a smaller service focused on recruiting, with profiles limited to members’ CVs, but without the social network. “ While we have been able to successfully help Chinese members find jobs and seize economic opportunities, we have not been as successful with the more social aspects of sharing and staying informed. Mohak Shroff, chief engineering officer at the company, said in a statement.
The social network was not widely used by the Chinese, but made it easier for internationally oriented companies and candidates to come into contact with players from the rest of the world. In September, the president of Microsoft, Brad Smith, had specified that the Chinese activities of the group represented less than 2% of its turnover, a ratio declining in recent years.
You have 29.4% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.