Baidu rescinds policy allowing private firms to run its online forums

Online search and services giant Baidu has ended a policy allowing private companies to run some of its online forums after users of one sub-forum set up by patients with hemophilia complained that their boards were being flooded with ads promoting treatments and drugs from unlicensed medical facilities, Caixin reported. Users of other forums for patients suffering from diseases said they had encountered similar problems last week. The company told Caixin that the bulletin board forums are not being used for profit, and denied that the forums were being sold to the highest bidder.