Yahoo said Tuesday it plans to move out of China, citing “a growing area of business and legal challenges.”
The company said in a statement that its services would no longer be available in China from Nov. 1.
“In view of the growing business and legal situation in China, Yahoo services will no longer be available in China from November 1,” the statement read.
He added that Yahoo “remains committed to the rights of our users and to the free and open internet.”
The company’s withdrawal will be in line with China’s Personal Data Protection Act which comes into effect on Nov. 1, which restricts what information companies may collect and sets standards for how they should be maintained.
Yahoo had previously reduced operations in China, and in 2015 closed its office in Beijing. Its withdrawal from the world is very symbolic as at least some of Yahoo’s services, including its web site, have already been shut down.
Chinese authorities are firmly in favor of online testing in the country, and require companies operating in China to check content and keywords that are considered politically sensitive or inappropriate.
China has also blocked global social networking sites and search engines, such as Facebook and Google. Chinese users wishing to access these services avoid blocking through a virtual private network (VPN).
Yahoo also used the music and email service in China, but both services were discontinued in early 2010.
Yahoo is the second largest US technology firm in recent weeks to reduce its operations in China. Last month, Microsoft’s social media platform, LinkedIn, said it would close its Chinese base, replacing the task board.China, but both services were discontinued in early 2010.
The company’s withdrawal will be in line with China’s Personal Data Protection Act which comes into effect on Nov. 1, which restricts what information companies may collect and sets standards for how they should be maintained.
Yahoo had previously reduced operations in China, and in 2015 closed its office in Beijing. Its withdrawal from the world is very symbolic as at least some of Yahoo’s services, including its web site, have already been shut down.
