Apple deleted gay dating apps from Chinese App Store at Beijing's request

Apple has confirmed that it has removed popular gay dating apps Blued and Finka from its Chinese iOS store, following an order from the Cyberspace Administration of China.

The country's app space has become increasingly restrictive in recent years, with Apple recently complying with orders to remove apps like Meta's WhatsApp and Threads.

Apple has confirmed that it has removed two popular gay dating apps from its Chinese iOS store following an order from Beijing's main internet regulator and censorship authority.

This comes after reports of the apps—Blued and Finka—suddenly disappearing from the iOS App Store over the weekend.

In a statement shared with CNBC, Apple confirmed that it was behind the action and defended the company's stance, saying it must comply with the laws of the countries where it operates.

"Based on the order of the Cyberspace Administration of China, we have removed these two apps from the Chinese storefront only," the company said, though they clarified that these apps were not already available in other countries.

However, a "lite" version of the Blued app is still available for download on China's App Store, CNBC confirmed on Tuesday.

The Wire first reported that Apple took this step at Beijing's behest.

The disappearance of Blued and Finka is the latest example of China's crackdown on the App Store in recent years.

Grindr, a popular US-based gay dating app, was removed from the iOS store in 2022, just days before the Cyberspace Administration of China began cracking down on content it deemed illegal and inappropriate.

Later in 2023, Beijing announced new policies requiring all apps serving local users to register with the government and obtain a license. This move resulted in a wave of removals of foreign apps from iOS.

In subsequent years, regulators have continued to directly appeal to companies like Apple to remove certain apps due to concerns about their content.

In April 2024, Apple removed Meta's WhatsApp and Threads from iOS following an order from the Central Accountability Commission (CAC), citing national security concerns.

Apple has expressed a willingness to comply with these requests in China, its largest overseas market outside the US.

The removal of Blued and Finka likely also reflects the increasing crackdown and censorship on the LGBTQ community in China. In recent years, the government has shut down prominent advocacy groups, including the Beijing LGBT Center.

Homosexuality was decriminalized in China in 1997, but same-sex marriage is still not recognized.