The license allows Google to operate its China-based site Google.cn. Last year, the company's license renewal appeared to be in doubt after Google decided months earlier it would no longer censor its search engine results in the country
Sina Weibo, a social networking platform, has 200 million registered users. Despite the censorship, Sina Weibo has become a platform for users to expose scandals and criticize government officials
China's state-run TV network reported Baidu's ad platform can be abused. The news reports, however, may just be the latest sign Chinese authorities want to better regulate the search company given its near monopoly over the country's market