Microsoft shuts down the Chinese version of LinkedIn

Microsoft has announced that it is closing the local version of the professional social network LinkedIn for China that has been available there since 2014, and said adhering to Chinese state standards has become an increasing challenge.

The move comes after an increase in claims from academics and reporters that they have received notifications that their personal files via the service are banned in China, as I recently reported. newspaper The Wall Street Journal.

and in her blog To announce the move and plan to launch a new standalone product in China called InJobs for jobs only without including a social feed or the ability to share or post articles, the company did not directly refer to these reports.

Instead, she says, while we have found success in helping Chinese members find jobs and economic opportunities, we have not found the same level of success in the social aspects of engaging and staying informed. We also face a significantly more challenging operating environment and greater compliance requirements in China.

“As we finalize the local version of LinkedIn in China later this year, we continue to have a strong presence in China to drive our new strategy,” she added. We’re excited to launch the new InJobs app later this year.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the Chinese government directed Microsoft to better regulate its content in March, with a 30-day deadline.

And last year, when the Trump administration tried to arrange Microsoft’s acquisition of the TikTok platform. The company’s massive soft power in the country was part of making this possible.

Read also: LinkedIn adds an inline video meeting option

Microsoft is replacing it with an app that lacks social features

Outside of GitHub and Amazon’s review system. LinkedIn was the only foreign-owned platform allowed to host user-generated content in China.

Twitter and Facebook have been banned in China since 2009. Google moved its searches from China to Hong Kong in 2010.

Meanwhile, Microsoft filtered Chinese search results via Bing and introduced a customized version of Windows 10.

And as the Chinese government has expanded its crackdown on tech giants in a way that affects gaming, ride-sharing, cryptocurrency, and more. It is clear that its requests have crossed the US company’s self-limiting threshold to re-evaluate its LinkedIn operations. Apple continues to operate in the country without restrictions.

Read also: LinkedIn is going to drop the Stories feature at the end of September