![“We follow the laws in the countries where we operate,” the Apple spokesperson said [File] | Photo Credit: REUTERS](https://newspage360.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/2025-11-08T213232Z_177369246_RC2JSHANYA8B_RTRMADP_3_GAY-PRIDE-CHILE-1068x601.jpg "“We follow the laws in the countries where we operate,” the Apple spokesperson said [File] | Photo Credit: REUTERS")
Key Takeaways
- China’s internet regulator ordered removal of Blued and Finka gay dating apps
- Apple confirmed compliance with the order from Cyberspace Administration of China
- LGBTQ rights have faced increasing restrictions in China in recent years
Chinese authorities have forced Apple to remove two major gay dating apps from its Chinese app store, marking the latest move in the country’s ongoing crackdown on LGBTQ expression.
Apple confirmed to AFP that it removed Blued and Finka from its China storefront following a direct order from the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), the government’s powerful internet regulator and censor.
App Disappearance and User Reports
Over the weekend, Chinese social media users noticed the full versions of both apps had vanished from Apple and Android stores. The two apps share a Hong Kong-based owner.
“Based on an order from the Cyberspace Administration of China, we have removed these two apps from the China storefront only,” an Apple spokesperson stated.
The company emphasized its compliance with local laws, adding: “We follow the laws in the countries where we operate.”
Limited Availability and Previous Removals
While the full versions were removed, an express version of Blued remained available in China’s Apple store. HeeSay, the international version of Blued, continues to operate outside China, claiming to serve “54 million LGBTQ+ individuals worldwide.”
This follows the 2022 removal of Grindr from Chinese stores during a CAC clean-up campaign before the Beijing Winter Olympics. Notably, Blued had survived that earlier purge.
Apple revealed that Finka’s developer had previously chosen to remove the app from stores outside China, while Blued was exclusively available within China before the recent takedown.
Same-sex marriage remains illegal in China, where discrimination against LGBTQ people is widespread. Activists report increasing suppression of LGBTQ expression under President Xi Jinping’s leadership.
