Chinese censors order gay dating apps be pulled from online stores

BEIJING – Chinese officials have ordered the removal of two popular gay dating apps from mobile stores in China, Apple confirmed on Nov 11.

Same-sex couples cannot legally marry in China, and discrimination remains widespread, with activists saying spaces for LGBTQ expression have all but vanished in recent years.

Over the weekend, Chinese social media users pointed out that the full versions of Blued and Finka, which share a Hong Kong-based owner, had disappeared from the Apple and Android stores.

An Apple spokesman said: “Based on an order from the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), we have removed these two apps from the China storefront only.”

The CAC is the government’s national internet regulator and top censor. In recent months, it has penalised social media platforms over content management.

“We follow the laws in the countries where we operate,” the Apple spokesman added.

Earlier in 2025, the developer of Finka “elected to remove the app from storefronts outside of China, and Blued was available only in China”, the spokesman added.

On Nov 11, an express version of Blued remained available to download from Apple’s Chinese app store.

And while the full versions have been pulled from stores, existing users say the apps do not appear to be blocked.

Newborn Town, owner of Blued and Finka, has not responded to a request for comment.

Lawyer Zhao Hu, who has long campaigned for LGBTQ rights, said the CAC’s decision was “unexpected”, and questioned its legality.

“Blued and Finka, both having been on the market for nearly a decade, were taken down without explanation,” he said.

If the apps were removed without the company’s consent, this could be seen as an infringement of its interests, which would make it an unlawful act, Mr Zhao added.

Mr Hu Zhijun, co-founder of PFLAG China, a group that campaigns for the acceptance of the LGBTQ community, said it was regrettable the apps were removed.

The apps helped gay men “lead better, more stable lives and find partners for intimate relationships”, he said. “They should have been seen as a positive thing and a socially beneficial initiative.”

In recent years, campaigners have witnessed the scope for LGBTQ organisations to offer services and activities

steadily diminish in China

, while offline meeting spaces have disappeared.

This ongoing trend of isolation has led to heightened anxiety and vulnerability within the community, said Mr Hu.

“This is profoundly detrimental to their mental well-being,” he said. AFP