Tencent and rivals probed by China’s internet censor as congress nears
Hong Kong/Beijing — China’s online watchdog has launched an investigation into reports of multiple violations at news services run by Tencent, Baidu and Weibo, as the government continues to tighten its scrutiny of internet content. The Cyberspace Administration of China said on Friday it had instructed its Beijing and Guangdong branches to look into reports that some of the country’s largest online services were carrying user-generated content laden with "violence, porn, rumours" disruptive to social order. It did not specify what actions may be taken, and Tencent, Baidu and Weibo had no immediate comment on the notice. China has put increasing pressure on internet media in the run-up to an important Communist Party congress later this year that is expected to consolidate President Xi Jinping’s authority. Intent on muzzling potential sources of disruptive information, the government has shut live-streaming services and websites, tightened regulations governing internet access, and ...
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