Microsoft’s search engine Bing has been forced by Chinese authorities to suspend its auto-suggest feature for seven days. Several reports indicate that Bing, which is the only foreign search engine available in China, was forced by a competent government agency to suspend the service. Last December, Chinese authorities also asked Bing to stop providing the similar service for 30 days amid the government’s continued crackdown on tech platforms and algorithms.
Bing also said on its China site that it “remains committed to respecting the rule of law and the right of users to access information.” The platform also said it would continue to help users find information to the fullest extent possible under applicable laws. It’s unclear when the suspension began, but users of the platform in China started noticing it on Saturday. INTERACTIVE-MARKETING has contacted Microsoft for further comment.
Since last year, Microsoft has reduced its operations in China. In October 2021, LinkedIn announced that it was shutting down its localized service in China. The Microsoft-owned platform said in a blog post that the decision comes as it faces “a much more challenging operating environment and tougher compliance requirements in China.” “While we have been successful in helping Chinese members find jobs and economic opportunities, we have not found the same level of success in the more social aspects of sharing and information,” he said. declared.
Going forward, Linkedin planned to launch InJobs, a new standalone job app aimed at helping China-based professionals find jobs in China and Chinese companies find quality candidates. InJobs will not include a social feed or the ability to share posts or articles. Meanwhile, the company said it will also continue to work with Chinese companies to help them create economic opportunities.
The professional networking platform entered China in 2014, accepting Chinese government requirements to create value for its members in China. According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), LinkedIn’s latest move marks the end of the last major US social media network openly operating in the country. Google exited the market in 2010 while Facebook and Twitter have been blocked in China since 2009. Clubhouse and Signal were also blocked this year.
LinkedIn has often been used by Chinese exporters and businesspeople to connect with overseas buyers, hoping to generate overseas interest and sales, WSJ reported. However, many Chinese netizens, especially those working in the tech industry, tend to use a local business networking app called Maimai, which is operated by Beijing Taou Tianxia Technology Development. LinkedIn also faces intense competition in China’s job search app market, with rivals such as Zhaopin, the WSJ added.
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