Key Takeaways
- Apple removed Blued and Finka, China’s top gay dating apps, from its App Store following a government order.
- The move is a significant setback for China’s LGBTQ+ community, which faces ongoing legal and social challenges.
- Apple CEO Tim Cook, a prominent LGBTQ+ figure, has previously advocated for equality and human rights.
Apple has removed two major gay dating apps from its Chinese App Store after pressure from the country’s internet regulators. The apps, Blued and Finka, were pulled following an order from the Cyberspace Administration of China.
This decision represents a notable setback for China’s marginalized LGBTQ+ community, which lacks many rights afforded to heterosexual citizens. While homosexuality was decriminalized in 1997, same-sex marriage remains unrecognized, and media censorship often blocks LGBTQ+ content.
An Apple spokesperson stated: “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.”
This isn’t the first such removal – the popular dating app Grindr was taken down from Apple’s Chinese App Store in 2022. However, users report the recently removed apps continue to function if already downloaded.
The action creates tension with Apple’s public stance as a progressive company. Under CEO Tim Cook, who came out as gay in 2014, Apple has released Pride Edition accessories and donated to LGBTQ+ advocacy groups.
Cook previously wrote about his experience: “Being gay has given me a deeper understanding of what it means to be in the minority and provided a window into the challenges that people in other minority groups deal with every day.”
He added: “The company I am so fortunate to lead has long advocated for human rights and equality for all… We’ll continue to fight for our values.”
