Blued and Finka have reportedly been removed following a directive from the countrys internet watchdog

China's top gay-dating apps, Blued and Finka, have been removed from the local Apple Store on orders from Beijing's internet regulator, Wired reports.

Launched in 2012, Blued is China's largest gay-dating app, once boasting over 60 million users worldwide before tighter state controls curbed its global reach. Finka, a newer rival popular among younger users, became one of China's fastest-growing LGBTQ+ platforms thanks to its social networking features and gaming-style interface.

According to Wired, Apple removed both apps from its China App Store on orders from the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), which oversees online content and data security.

The report did not specify when or why the order was issued, but users on Chinese social media noticed the apps' disappearance from online stores over the weekend. The apps reportedly remain functional for existing users but are no longer available for new downloads.

Apple confirmed the removal in a statement on Monday.

"We follow the laws in the countries where we operate. Based on an order from CAC, we have removed these two apps from the China storefront only," an Apple spokesperson said in an email to the outlet. The company added that both apps had already been withdrawn from other markets. Neither Blued nor Finka responded to requests for comment.

China decriminalized homosexuality in the 1990s but still bans same-sex marriage. Under President Xi Jinping, the authorities have intensified efforts to promote traditional family values and curb what they call "Western influence." The campaign aims to boost birth rates, reinforce gender roles, and discourage lifestyles seen as inconsistent with traditional values. Chinese LGBTQ+ activists say the campaign has fueled censorship and surveillance, with many gay groups shut down, Pride events banned, same-sex content removed from media, and university associations dissolved.

Most LGBTQ+ dating apps are already blocked in China. US-based Grindr was removed from Apple's Chinese App Store in 2022 after Beijing tightened cybersecurity and data-privacy rules requiring user data to be stored domestically. ZANK, once among China's top gay-dating apps, was shut down in 2017 for "spreading pornographic content."

(RT.com)