Apple has confirmed that, in response to an order from the Cyberspace Administration of China, it has removed two major LGBTQ+ dating apps, "Blued" and "Finka," from the App Store in China.
According toWired websiteThe report also stated that both apps were removed from some Android app stores. Apple responded by reiterating its consistent stance, stating that the company "must comply with the laws of the countries in which it operates."
The environment for LGBTQ+ applications in China continues to shrink.
This is not the first time Apple has removed LGBTQ+ related apps from the App Store in China. Previously, the globally renowned Grindr was removed from the Chinese App Store back in 2022.
Blued (whose international version is called HeeSay) and Finka, which were recently removed from app stores, previously only offered services in the Chinese market and were among the few remaining platforms for the local LGBTQ+ community.
Regulatory scrutiny has intensified, and related organizations were shut down last year.
This removal of content underscores China's increasingly stringent regulations on LGBTQ+ individuals' rights and related groups in recent years. The report notes that large organizations, including the Beijing LGBT Center, were reportedly forced to close in 2023.
It is worth noting that Blued suspended new user registration in July of this year for unknown reasons, which even led to users having to purchase second-hand accounts to use the service. It was only briefly reopened in mid-August.
The parent company is BlueCity, which also operates a non-profit organization for HIV prevention.
According to available information, Blued and Finka share a common parent company, "BlueCity," which is owned by "Newborn Town." Besides operating a dating app, BlueCity also has interests in the healthcare field, with a non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention and treatment of diseases such as HIV/AIDS.
