Web giant Sina caught in China's 'lewd and pornographic' crackdown

A Chinese government crackdown on “lewd and pornographic” content has ensnared Internet giant Sina.com, with authorities saying that inappropriate articles and videos were found on the portal and that the company would be stripped of its online publication and video licenses.

The National Office Against Pornographic and Illegal Publications said tips from the public led to the discovery of 20 articles and four videos on the site that violated regulations.

"Some of these articles were as long as 500-plus chapters and clocked millions of clicks ... imperiling social morals and seriously harming minors' physical and mental health," the statement said.

Sina said it was “deeply saddened” by the developments and offered “sincere apologies.” “We are sorry and ashamed,” the note continued, adding that the company had established a rectification team to deal with the situation and invited users to continue to “monitor and criticize us.”