China’s internet censor shuts financial news aggregator wallstreetcn.com amid worsening US relations over trade and tech – South China Morning Post
What happened: China’s internet censors have shut down Wallstreetcn.com, one of China’s most popular news aggregating apps dedicated to financial news, over unspecified breaches of cybersecurity laws. A photograph of the government order circulated online shows that the order was stamped by the Cyberspace Administration of China. It neither revealed why the app was shut down, nor whether the suspension was permanent. The app confirmed the shutdown and said it was working to resolve issues.
Why it’s important: Wallstreetcn.com has faced regulatory trouble before. In March, it was fined for posting news without a license. The app has also had disputes with Bloomberg, Caixin Global, and Dow Jones over copyright violations. The shutdown comes amid a crackdown on US-China trade war discussions on Chinese social media. Research by the University of Hong Kong suggests that three of the top 10 most-censored WeChat topics include the trade war, Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou’s arrest, and US sanctions against Chinese telecom manufacturer ZTE.