The Chinese government has abruptly shut down dozens of blogs in its latest attempt to control the growing tide of social networking, according to the Associated Press.

The crackdown, which apparently surfaced Wednesday, has affected both blogs and shorter microblogs, which have become a popular method to spread the word and rally support about sensitive issues there. The move has led to many blogs disappearing from Sohu, home to popular microblogs by outspoken writers and lawyers, said the AP, quoting several bloggers whose posts had been shut down.
Sina is one of several sites hosting blogs shut down in China.

A lawyer named Pu Zhiqiang told the AP that he had been writing a new post when he suddenly discovered that his blog couldn’t open. A legal expert named Xu Zhiyong also reported that his blog was closed. Another blogger Yao Yuan said that he knew of at least 61 blogs on Sohu that are now blocked, according to the AP.