Baidu used by websites to promote illegal gambling

Baidu Inc is under investigation from China’s internet watchdog after reports that illegal gambling websites used the search engine to promote themselves.

In a statement on Monday, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said it will conduct an investigation and handle any illegal behavior accordingly.

On Monday, the company responded to the media reports in a press briefing.

"Baidu focuses on the credentials of the company registered for promotions. But the contents of promotional websites cannot be monitored in advance. So we make sure every website is screened as soon as they go live," said Gu Guodong, executive director of marketing at Baidu, quoted by China Daily.

In a post on its official Weibo account, the company said it reported the case to the police and was actively assisting them in the investigation.

The CAC has urged Baidu and other search engines to remain firm in not providing a channel to spread illegal gambling and other information.

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