China’s internet regulator has ordered the removal of two major gay dating applications — Blued and Finka — from mobile app stores across the country, in a move that rights advocates say highlights tightening restrictions on LGBTQ+ visibility and online expression.
Technology giant Apple confirmed to Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Tuesday that it had complied with directives from the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), the country’s top internet regulatory and censorship body, to pull the apps from its Chinese App Store. The apps have also been delisted from major Android platforms.
“Based on an order from the Cyberspace Administration of China, we have removed these two apps from the China storefront only,” an Apple spokesperson said. “We follow the laws in the countries where we operate.”
The removal of Blued and Finka follows a pattern of increased online censorship under President Xi Jinping’s administration, which has sought to enforce stricter “moral standards” and reshape China’s digital and social media environment.
While homosexuality is not illegal in China, same-sex marriage remains unrecognized, and LGBTQ+ activism faces heavy scrutiny. Over the past few years, university LGBTQ+ student groups have been shut down, online forums have been restricted, and social media platforms have been ordered to remove content promoting what authorities describe as “unhealthy lifestyles.”
Blued, launched in 2012, grew to become one of the world’s largest gay dating platforms, with over 54 million users globally, according to its international affiliate, HeeSay. The company, based in Beijing but registered in Hong Kong, has expanded its operations to multiple countries, offering social networking, health education, and live-streaming services for LGBTQ+ communities.
Finka, which targets younger male users, is also owned by the same Hong Kong-based parent company. Earlier this year, Finka’s developers voluntarily withdrew versions of the app from international storefronts, limiting its accessibility to Chinese users.
Despite the new restrictions, a lite version of Blued, known as Blued Express, remained temporarily available in Apple’s Chinese store as of Tuesday. Meanwhile, the international version, HeeSay, continues to operate outside China and remains accessible to users globally.
The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), which has broad powers to regulate online content and data privacy, has not yet issued an official statement explaining the decision. However, analysts believe the move is consistent with the government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen control over digital spaces and suppress content deemed contrary to “traditional family values.”
International human rights groups have condemned the action, calling it another setback for LGBTQ+ representation in China. “The removal of these apps further isolates China’s LGBTQ+ community, which already faces stigma and diminishing online safe spaces,” said a representative from Human Rights Watch in response to AFP’s report.
Observers note that the clampdown could have broader implications for tech firms operating in China, as global platforms continue to navigate Beijing’s stringent internet policies that often clash with international norms on privacy, speech, and inclusion.
Source:Africa Publicity
