Microsoft to shut down LinkedIn in China amid tightening of rules

Microsoft Corp is pulling the plug on LinkedIn in China nearly seven years after its launch and will replace it with a stripped-down version of the platform that would focus only on jobs.

LinkedIn is the only major US-owned social network operating in the country, where the government requires such platforms to follow strict rules and regulations.

“We’re also facing a significantly more challenging operating environment and greater compliance requirements in China,” LinkedIn said in a blog post on Thursday, adding it did not find the same level of success in the more social aspects of sharing and staying informed like it has globally.