WeChat makes content searchable on foreign search engines

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WeChat makes content searchable on foreign search engines

BEIJING Tencent's WeChat has made its content searchable on some foreign search engines such as Google and Microsoft's Bing, Reuters checks showed, in the latest tearing down of walled gardens in China's Internet sector.

Tencent, Google and Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment. China's Internet sector has been long dominated by a handful of tech giants who have historically blocked each other rivals' links as well as their search crawlers. The practice is often referred to as 'walled gardens'.

In recent months, this practice has been targeted by Chinese authorities as part of a sweeping regulatory crackdown.

Last month, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology MIIT ordered companies to stop blocking links, which they said has affected users' experience and damaged consumer rights.

The MIIT has been studying plans and conducting research to make WeChat content available on direct search engines, according to a person with external knowledge.

MIIT and Tencent did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

However, WeChat content is not yet searchable on Baidu, China's dominant search engine, according to Reuters checks. Baidu didn't immidiately respond to a request for comment.

Citi analysts said in a Tuesday note that the potential opening up of the social ecosystem to search engine was a positive development for Baidu, as its leading search gateway position has been diluted and weakened by the growth and dominance of super apps.