Yahoo pulls out of China, citing ‘challenging’ environment

By ZEN SOO
Associated Press

HONG KONG (AP) — Yahoo Inc. says it has pulled out of China, citing an “increasingly challenging business and legal environment.” The company says its services were no longer accessible in mainland China as of Nov. 1. Yahoo is the second large U.S. technology company in recent weeks to reduce its operations in China. Last month, Microsoft’s professional networking platform LinkedIn said it would shutter its Chinese site, replacing it with a jobs board instead. Chinese authorities maintain a firm grip on Internet censorship in the country and require companies operating in China to censor content and keywords deemed politically sensitive or inappropriate.