Apple removes gay dating apps from Chinese App Store at Beijing’s request
Chinese flag and LGBT rainbow flag
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Apple approved Beijing has removed two popular gay dating apps from the China iOS Store on the orders of its main internet regulator and censorship authority, it said.
This comes after reports that Blued and Finka apps suddenly disappeared from the iOS App Store over the weekend.
In its statement shared with CNBC, Apple confirmed that it was behind the action and defended the company’s stance, stating that it must comply with the laws of the countries in which it operates.
“In accordance with an order from the Cyberspace Administration of China, we removed these two applications only from the Chinese store,” the company said, but also clarified that the applications were not already available in other countries.
However, CNBC confirmed on Tuesday that the “lite” version of the Blued app remains available for download on the Chinese App Store.
The Wire was the first to do this report He said Apple made the move on Beijing’s orders.
The disappearance of Blued and Finka is the latest example of China’s crackdown on app stores in recent years.
Grindr, the popular US gay dating app, removed from iOS store In 2022, just days after the Cyberspace Administration of China launched a crackdown on content it deemed illegal and inappropriate.
Beijing in late 2023 announced new policies It requires all apps serving local users to register and obtain a license with the government. This move resulted in the removal of a number of foreign apps from iOS.
In subsequent years, regulators continued to approach companies like Apple directly to remove certain apps due to problems with their content.
Apple removed in April 2024 Meta’s WhatsApp and Threads from iOS upon instruction of CAC, citing national security concerns.
Apple has proven willing to comply with these demands in China, which represents its largest overseas market outside the United States.
Blued and Finka’s ouster likely reflects increasing crackdowns and censorship of the LGBTQ community in China. In recent years, the government has shut down major advocacy groups, including the Beijing LGBT Center.
Although homosexuality was decriminalized in China in 1997, same-sex marriage is still not recognized.
— CNBC’s Evelyn Cheng contributed to this report.
