LinkedIn, the very successful networking site for professionals, has according to spokesman Hani Durzy, been blocked in parts of China, including Shanghai and Beijing.
LinkedIn is predominantly a social network for professionals, many looking for jobs, which has allowed it to stay relatively untouched by Chinese censors until now. Facebook, Twitter and Youtube have all been victims of censorship in China, and have been shut down at one time or another.
Hani Durzy said from the companys Californian base:
We can confirm that access to LinkedIn is being blocked for some in China, and we are currently in the process of investigating the situation further.
There is speculation that the cause of the site shut down was due to a profiler called “Jasmine Z”, started a discussion group asking whether the revolutions by protesters that brought down governments in Tunisia and Egypt should be brought to China.