LinkedIn shutters in China amid strict government control, marks end to big social media in country

Microsoft-owned LinkedIn says it is shutting down its professional network service in China, as internet censorship increases in the country.

The tech giant made the announcement Thursday, saying the shutdown will occur later this year while citing "a significantly more challenging operating environment and greater compliance requirements."

The internet is closely controlled in China by the country's ruling Chinese Communist Party. And the move essentially marks the end of U.S.-based social media in China.

Twitter and Facebook have been blocked in the country for years, and Google left more than a decade ago, according to The New York Times.

LinkedIn says it will instead offer a new app for the Chinese market that only posts job openings, with no social network features such as comments and post sharing.