LinkedIn has acknowledged that it may have been too enthusiastic about its censorship efforts in China. The company’s director of communications, Hani Durzy, told Bloomberg that LinkedIn is “strongly considering changing our policy so that content from our Chinese members that is not allowed in China will still be viewed globally.”
Some LinkedIn members in China were up in arms after the company was found to have censored what it deemed as sensitive content prohibited in the country — not only in China, but globally. Durzy told Marketplace reporter Rob Schmitz that doing so was to “protect the safety of our members that live in China.”
When LinkedIn announced its move into China with a joint venture and a localized Chinese-language site earlier this year, CEO Jeff Weiner stated that the company disagrees with China’s approach to censorship, but it will abide by any necessary laws in order to operate in the country. It seems like the interpretation of “necessary” in this case may have overstepped the boundaries.
Thumbnail image via Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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