Facebook (FB) Could Soon Be Allowed In China Again

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According to the New York Times, Facebook Inc. has developed a censorship tool that could allow the company to re-enter China after it has been banned for seven years.

Facebook was banned in China back in 2009, following the Urumqi riots in July 2009 that left 140 people dead. The ban was in effort to stop the flow of information about ethnic unrest.

The newspaper, citing unnamed sources, said that the software was developed with the support of Mark Zuckerberg, the social media giant’s CEO.

The software suppresses posts from appearing in people’s news feeds in specific geographies.

“We have long said that we are interested in China, and are spending time understanding and learning more about the country,” Facebook spokeswoman Arielle Aryah said in an emailed statement to Reuters.

“However, we have not made any decision on our approach to China. Our focus right now is on helping Chinese businesses and developers expand to new markets outside China by using our ad platform.”

Disclaimer: We have no position in Facebook, Inc. (NASDAQ: FB) and have not been compensated for this article.