Apple has pulled two major gay dating apps, Blued and Finka, from its App Store in China after receiving an order from the country’s main internet regulator. Reports also say the apps have vanished from several Android stores. The move follows growing scrutiny of LGBTQ+ platforms and communities within China.
The company confirmed that it acted on instructions from the Cyberspace Administration of China. “We follow the laws in the countries where we operate. 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. The statement also clarified that both apps were already unavailable outside China. Earlier this year, Finka’s developer removed it from other regions, while Blued remained exclusive to China.
Wired, which first reported the story, noted that Blued and Finka are still functional for users who already have them installed. Blued, once boasting over 49 million registered users, had long been one of the largest social networking apps for gay men in China. The company behind it, BlueCity, went public in 2020 and later acquired Finka for around $33 million before delisting two years later.
Crackdown and Community Pressure
The removal appears to be part of a broader government crackdown. While China decriminalized homosexuality in the 1990s, it does not recognize same-sex marriage. Over recent years, authorities have tightened restrictions on LGBTQ+ groups and online spaces. Social media platforms often censor related content, and many advocacy organizations have been forced to shut down.
In July, Blued temporarily stopped new registrations without giving a reason, leading users to buy secondhand accounts online for as much as $20. Registration resumed in August. BlueCity later expanded into digital healthcare through He Health, an app offering discreet medical services for men, and also runs a nonprofit focused on HIV prevention.
Whether Blued and Finka will return to the App Store remains unclear. In previous cases, some Chinese apps have been reinstated after meeting regulatory demands. For now, both apps’ disappearance marks another sign of the growing pressure on LGBTQ+ digital spaces in China.
