China’s Cyberspace Administration has shut down 105 mobile phone apps, including that of U.S. travel giant TripAdvisor, as part of a crackdown on internet content the government considers undesirable.
The agency said the apps are the first of many that will be taken down as part of a sweep targeting obscenity, pornography, prostitution, violence, fraud and gambling, according to a report on industry news site Asia Gaming Brief.
The goal, the agency said, is “to create a clear cyberspace.”
It wasn’t known why TripAdvisor was included, but AGB speculated it could be because the app allows travelers to book accommodations at resorts that include casinos.
Without providing details, the government said earlier this year that it is compiling a “blacklist” of foreign gaming jurisdictions from which Chinese citizens would be banned.
TripAdvisor had no comment, according to the report.
The site had ranked 150th in popularity in China’s Apple App Store, according to a recent survey cited by AGB.
