Min read. Chinese tech giant Tencent is rumored to have contributed $150 million to US social news and discussion platform Reddit's $300 million Series D, leading to heated discussions over the possibility of future censorship on the platform. The news has sparked a backlash from Redditors who have expressed concerns that the site, which is famously known as a home for free speech and many niche communities, could face a purge after receiving investment from Tencent. Some are less worried as the $150 million investment would give Tencent a minor stake. Tencent declined to comment on the investment when contacted by TechNode. The rumored investment comes as Tencent faces mounting challenges from its rival Bytedance, both at home and abroad. Bytedance has seen booming growth thanks to its news aggregation app Toutiao and short video app TikTok-known as Douyin in China-over the past few years. Fierce, cross-vertical competition in the Chinese market is pushing tech companies to seek opportunities abroad. Investing in Reddit could be a savvy move for Tencent to consolidate its foothold globally, especially since its core business is social networking and media services. Bytedance's content aggregator Toutiao reportedly tried to buy Reddit last year in line with its goal to become a global media juggernaut. Read more