Akamai has announced it is shutting down its content delivery network (CDN) in China, a departure from the path other tech companies have taken.

Akamai is one of the leading CDN providers in the world, and surprised the industry with an announcement that it was pulling out of China. Like many American companies, Akamai has had a presence in China for some time, but the company has come to the conclusion that it can no longer operate within the country.

According to The Register, Akamai sent an email to customers and partners, saying it has commitment to providing world-class delivery and security solutions” and that “effective June 30, 2026, all China CDN services will reach their decommission date.”

Moving forward, customers can either move to a China-based CDN provider or have their content move to some of Akamai’s servers outside of China.

Akamai’s decision underscores the challenges American companies face operating in China, especially in the current geopolitical environment. With the US and China trading barbs and restricting various imports and exports from each, companies are caught in the middle.

Akamai’s citing security as one of the reasons for its decision is an interesting choice, and further highlights the reputation that China has gained and the issues that reputation poses for companies looking to do business within the country. Beijing-backed hacking groups have been increasing their attacks on US cybersecurity infrastructure, with the Salt Typhoon group responsible for the “worst telecom hack in our nation’s history — by far,” according to Senator Mark R. Warner.

Akamai clearly believes the time has come when continuing to operate within China is no longer worth the cost.