Chinese authorities have ordered the removal of two popular gay dating apps, Blued and Finka, from app stores in the country, Apple confirmed on Tuesday. The move comes amid a broader effort to restrict LGBTQ+ expression in China.
Same-sex marriage remains illegal in China, and discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals continues to be widespread. Activists note that censorship and suppression of LGBTQ+ content have intensified in recent years under President Xi Jinping’s administration.
Over the weekend, Chinese social media users noticed that the full versions of Blued and Finka, both owned by a Hong Kong-based company, had disappeared from Apple and Android app stores. “Based on an order from the Cyberspace Administration of China, we have removed these two apps from the China storefront only,” an Apple spokesperson told AFP.
The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) is the government’s top internet regulator and censor. In recent months, the CAC has increased oversight of social media platforms, penalising them for content management violations.
Apple noted that it complies with local laws in the countries where it operates. Earlier this year, Finka’s developer had chosen to remove the app from storefronts outside China, while Blued remained available only in China.
AFP was unable to reach the CAC or the apps’ owner for immediate comment. An express version of Blued remains available on Apple’s Chinese app store, while an international version called HeeSay continues to be accessible outside China. HeeSay claims to connect “54 million LGBTQ+ individuals worldwide” according to its App Store description.
This is not the first time Chinese authorities have targeted gay dating apps. Popular platform Grindr was removed from Chinese stores in 2022 during a CAC campaign ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympics. At that time, Blued continued to operate, but its availability in China is now restricted, highlighting the increasing scrutiny of LGBTQ+ platforms in the country.
