China lifts block on LinkedIn
After China blocked LinkedIn on Thursday, users can once again access the career-oriented social networking site.
The freeze lasted more than 24 hours, according to Bloomberg. Within the country, the “Great Firewall” has already shut down Twitter and Facebook use, sites that were recently instrumental in overthrowing governments in Egypt and Tunisia.
Chinese officials have clamped down on communication amid citizens’ calls for a similar “Jasmine Revolution.” Police presence has increased while some cellphone text messaging services have been disconnected.
"We are seeing indications that access to the LinkedIn service is being restored in China," said LinkedIn spokesman Hani Durzy in an e-mail. "We will continue to monitor the situation."
LinkedIn Corp., which has hundreds of millions of users in China, is fully integrated with Twitter, making it one of the only remaining portals through which users can access the micro-blogging service.
LinkedIn plans to raise as much as $175 million in an initial public offering.
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Photo: Jin Lee / Bloomberg
