DIGITAL LIFE

China removes major gay dating apps from digital stores in new offensive against LGBTQ+ platforms

The gay dating apps Blued and Finka have been removed from the Apple Store and several Android app stores in China following a ruling by the country's Cyberspace Administration, China's main internet censorship and regulation body.

The removal was confirmed by Apple to Wired. "We respect the laws of the countries where we operate. Based on an order from the Cyberspace Administration of China, we have removed these two apps only from the Chinese store," a spokesperson said.

The person added that the apps had already been unavailable in other countries for some time: "Earlier this year, the developer of Finka chose to remove the app from stores outside of China, and Blued was only available in China."

Despite the removal, users who had already downloaded Blued and Finka can still access them - at least for now. The measure, however, reignites the debate about the growing siege imposed by the Chinese government on the LGBTQ+ community, which in recent years has seen the closure of specialized organizations and constant censorship of profiles on social media.

China decriminalized homosexuality in the 1990s, but the government does not recognize same-sex marriage.

Blued is controlled by BlueCity. In 2020, the company went public and reported that the gay dating app had over 49 million registered users and over 6 million monthly active users.

In the same year, as reported by Wired, BlueCity announced the acquisition of Finka, its main competitor in China. The company ceased trading on the stock exchange in 2022 and was acquired by the social media business Newborn Town, listed in Hong Kong.

A few years ago, BlueCity expanded its activities into the healthcare sector, launching a digital pharmacy service and a telemedicine clinic aimed at Chinese men. Furthermore, she operates a non-profit organization dedicated to combating HIV/AIDS.

It is not yet known whether the removal of the apps in China is permanent. In previous cases, some services managed to return to the app stores after making changes required by censors.

Blued and Finka...Blued is China's leading gay dating app and at one point had 49 million registered users. Its parent company, BlueCity, bought Finka in 2020 for US$33 million and was acquired in 2022 by Newborn Town, a Hong Kong social media company.

In 2024, the international version of Blued was renamed HeeSay, popular in India, Pakistan, and the Philippines. The app remains available normally outside of China.

It is not yet confirmed whether the removal of Blued and Finka will be temporary or permanent. In previous cases, apps only returned to the app stores after adjustments required by the authorities.

Homosexuality was decriminalized in China in the 1990s, but same-sex marriage remains without legal recognition. In recent years, LGBTQ groups have faced increased censorship and restrictions under the control of the Communist Party.

Reporter: Renata Turbiani, Brazil