According to a report issued by marketing research firm Marbridge Consulting, Tudou was ordered to shut down by officials at the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) on Feb. 26, in order to reorganize and eliminate any illegal content, including pornographic and copyrighted material.
The SARFT accused Tudou of being lax in monitoring content posted by users.
Marbridge reported that officials at Tudou had confirmed the SARFT’s action during a phone conversation, but declined to discuss the other details.
Several Chinese media outlets including Danwei and Netease have reported that Tudou denies having received any action from SARFT. However, several prominent media bloggers have posted reports based on Marbridge’s claims, causing speculation that the website’s competitors have spread rumors of an imminent takedown for Tudou.
