The party's anti-graft watchdog agency said in a brief statement on its website late today that Lu, now former deputy head of the party's propaganda department, is suspected of "serious violations of discipline."
Lu was known as a hard-liner responsible for leading the government's efforts to tighten control over domestic cyberspace and championing the party's position that governments have a right to filter and censor their countries' internet.
Lu wielded enormous power over what 700 million Chinese internet users could view online and acted as gatekeeper for technology companies wishing to do business in China.