Blued and Finka are removed from app stores in China, raising alarm over increasing LGBT repression
Two of China’s most popular gay dating apps, Blued and Finka, have been removed from Apple’s and Android’s app stores in the country, sparking concerns about further restrictions on LGBT rights in the region.
As of Tuesday, both apps were unavailable for download through the Apple and Android platforms in China, although users who had already downloaded the apps could still access them. Despite the removals, the apps remained available for download via their official websites. Neither Blued nor Finka have issued any statements regarding the removals.
Apple confirmed the removal, citing a directive from China’s Cyberspace Administration, which regulates the country’s internet and digital spaces. “We follow the laws in the countries where we operate,” Apple told Wired, explaining that the decision to remove the apps applied only to the Chinese market. The company operates a separate app store in China in compliance with local laws, a framework that sees many Western apps such as Facebook and Instagram blocked, along with popular international dating platforms like Grindr and Tinder.
Blued, founded in 2012, has become the leading dating app for gay men in China, boasting over 40 million registered users globally. Over the years, it has expanded its services beyond dating to include livestreaming features. In 2020, Blued’s parent company also acquired Finka, a popular gay dating app. Despite being widely used, Blued has now faced the same fate as many other platforms that have been increasingly targeted in recent years by government censorship and regulation.
Although homosexuality is legal in China, the nation has seen a disturbing retreat from the freedoms once afforded to the LGBT community. After years of relative openness, LGBT rights in China have been pushed back under stricter laws and government crackdowns. Several LGBT organisations have been forced to shut down, while Shanghai Pride, the country’s largest pride event, was suspended in 2020. Even the portrayal of same-sex relationships in media has faced censorship, with films being edited to erase LGBTQ+ content.
The recent removal of these apps has shocked members of the LGBT community, many of whom rely on these platforms for connection and support. One LGBT community leader, speaking anonymously for safety reasons, expressed dismay at the news. “The living space for sexual minorities has been shrinking over the past few years,” the source said. “But hearing this news now, it caught me off guard that online spaces are also shrinking.”
The individual also questioned the reasoning behind the move, asking, “Don’t apps like Blued contribute to social stability and harmony? Why remove them from app stores? I find it difficult to understand their underlying thinking.”
The decision to remove Blued and Finka comes amid growing fears about the shrinking of spaces for the LGBT community in China. Online platforms that once served as safe havens for LGBTQ+ people are becoming increasingly restricted. For many, Blued represented the first time they realised they weren’t alone, offering a sense of community to those previously isolated. One WeChat user wrote, “Blued made countless people realise for the first time that they weren’t alone; it brought a group from the margins to being seen.”
Despite the growing alarm, the Cyberspace Administration of China has not commented on the removals, leaving the community uncertain about whether this action is a temporary measure or part of a wider crackdown on LGBTQ+ platforms.
The news has sparked widespread concern both in China and internationally, as the LGBT community braces for further restrictions in the wake of the latest moves against platforms that support sexual minorities.