Hong Kong, (CNN) – China said it has removed the Tripadvisor app from the country’s mobile app stores as the government embarks on a fresh effort to “clean” the internet.
In a statement released Tuesday, the Chinese Cyberspace Administration said it had removed 105 applications it deemed “illegal”, including the US travel giant’s app.
Most of the platforms are affiliated with local Chinese companies, and it was not immediately clear why Tripadvisor, which houses reviews of hotels and vacation destinations, was in the crackdown. The Massachusetts-based company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Tripadvisor was still available in China.
The Chinese organizers said the apps they removed were the first of many to be removed in a widespread “cleanup” of online content that began last month.
The campaign is carried out in accordance with several Chinese laws, and aims to erase content related to illegal activity, including obscenity, pornography, prostitution, violence, fraud or gambling, according to the authorities.
The administration said in a statement that it “will continue to strengthen supervision and inspection of mobile application information services, prompt cleaning and disposal of illegal mobile applications and application stores, and strive to create a clear electronic space.”
Chinese internet users have been living behind the so-called “Great Firewall” for years. American social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, have long been banned in the country, and the United States and China have increasingly clashed over technology from both sides.
