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Momo and Tantan Shutdown Newsfeeds After Chinese Government Pressure

Momo has announced that the newsfeed section of its dating app has been shut down for the next month following a government request. The temporary closure is also affecting Tantan Moments, the photo-sharing feature.

The company will now conduct a complete investigation of its content screening practices and make any relevant changes.

Both features are scheduled to be live again on 11th June, although this date could be pushed back depending on the results of the examination.

The market has reacted strongly and Momo’s stock price has dropped by just over 10%.

This means it has now decreased by 21% since the end of April when Tantan disappeared from several major Android stores for apparent policy violations. It’s believed that a number of advertising materials for prostituion services were found on the app.

Seeking Alpha analysts have long been supporters of Momo and tipped the stock to recover following the Tantan removal. However, they are yet to comment on this latest setback.

DingTalk, a workplace messaging platform run by Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba, has also been suspended for a month after it was officially reprimanded by the authorities for improper content.

This latest series of events has heightened some commentators fears about the way the Chinese government is clamping down on freedom of speech. Kunlun Tech has been ordered by the US government to sell Grindr due to its strong affiliation with the Chinese administration.

Read more here.

Dominic Whitlock

Dominic is the Editor for Global Dating Insights. Originally from Devon, England he achieved a BA in English Language & Linguistics from The University of Reading. He enjoys a variety of sports and has a further passion for film and music.

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