LinkedIn to close in China

In a blog post by Mohak Shroff, senior vice-president of engineering at LinkedIn, the company said that its localised version of the social media platform would be closed due to a “more challenging operating environment and greater compliance requirements” in China.

The Chinese version of LinkedIn will therefore close later this year and be replaced by standalone jobs application website InJobs.

InJobs will not include a social media element nor the ability to share posts or articles, but instead solely focus on job vacancies.

The localised version of LinkedIn was launched in China in February 2014, which the company accepted meant “adherence to requirements of the Chinese government on internet platforms”.

However, it said that LinkedIn had also had a “clear set of guidelines” to re-evaluate its Chinese version of LinkedIn in the future.

There has been a recent crackdown in China on online firms on issues such as data privacy, use of algorithms and monopolistic behaviour, as well as restrictions on children’s access to the internet.

China also has a longstanding policy of internet censorship, which has seen a number of companies alter practices in order to operate in the country.

“While we’ve found success in helping Chinese members find jobs and economic opportunity, we have not found that same level of success in the more social aspects of sharing and staying informed,” the blog stated.

“We’re also facing a significantly more challenging operating environment and greater compliance requirements in China.”