According to news reports, the decision was made due to Chinese internet regulations as well as challenging working conditions caused by the pandemic.
LinkedIn declared that it will close part of its operations in China due to the Chinese government’s internet regulations and the poor business environment caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. In addition, the corporation announced that it will lay off 716 people and reduce its activities in China.
The startup entered the Chinese market in 2014, promising to provide a business network for Chinese users without needing to censor information as required by the Chinese government. However, in recent years, the Chinese government has moved to carefully supervise international technology enterprises. To comply with Chinese internet regulations, LinkedIn has had to impose some limits on content and user data.
According to LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky, the decision to close the app was made because the business the environment was becoming increasingly difficult and they were subject to constraints owing to Chinese internet regulations. He also stated that LinkedIn’s Chinese website and mobile app services will be unaffected and that the company will continue to function in China.
LinkedIn has joined the ranks of other technology corporations that have cut their presence in China with this decision. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google have been blocked in China because they do not comply with local laws.
