Yahoo to exit China, citing commitment to "free and open" internet

Yahoo on Tuesday said it plans to pull out of China, citing an "increasingly challenging business and legal environment." It is the second major U.S. technology company to recently announce that it will exit the People's Republic, the world's largest consumer market, joining Microsoft's LinkedIn social network. 

The company said in a statement that its services will no longer be accessible from mainland China as of Nov. 1. "In recognition of the increasingly challenging business and legal environment in China, Yahoo's suite of services will no longer be accessible from mainland China as of November 1," the statement read.

It added that Yahoo "remains committed to the rights of our users and a free and open internet."