BANGKOK (AP) — In the latest sign of its tightening grip on the LGBTQ+ community, Apple says it has shut down two of China’s biggest gay dating apps, Blued and Finca, following pressure from Chinese authorities.
Ann apple A spokesperson said in a statement that the company removed the two dating apps from China “based on orders from the Cyberspace Administration of China,” without providing further details.
“We follow the laws of the countries in which we operate,” a spokesperson told The Associated Press.
An Associated Press investigation on Tuesday found that while the two apps are not available in Apple’s app store in China, an “express” version of Blued may still be found. It was unclear what the difference was between the full and express versions, and whether an Android version was available.
Apple said Blued is available “only in China.” Finka’s developers “elected to remove the app” outside China earlier this year, the company added.
Grindr, another popular gay dating app, was removed from Apple’s app store in China in 2022.
Despite homosexuality being decriminalized in China in 1997, China’s LGBTQ+ community and advocacy groups have faced increasing pressure from authorities. forced to suspend operations In recent years, activity has been curtailed in China.
Blued and Finka share the same parent company, BlueCity is a company founded in China and focused on the LGBTQ+ community in China and abroad. Blue City will be taken private and delisted from Nasdaq in 2022.
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Last year, Apple also reportedly removed apps such as WhatsApp and Threads from the Chinese app store based on orders from the Cyberspace Administration of China.
“Among foreign tech companies serving Chinese users, Apple is probably the most willing to comply with China’s internet regulations,” said George Chen, partner and co-chair of the Asia Group’s digital practice.
The Chinese market, including iPhone sales, is “so important” to Apple that the company “rarely pushes back on the Chinese government’s takedown requests,” Chen added.
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Kelvin Chan in London and Canis Leung in Hong Kong contributed to this article.
