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

Apple has confirmed that it has removed 2 fashionable cheery dating apps from its Chinese iOS Store, pursuing an bid from Beijing's main net regulator and censorship authority.

It comes pursuing reports of the apps — Blued and Finka — abruptly disappearing from the iOS App Store implicit the weekend. 

In a connection shared with CNBC, Apple confirmed that it was down the enactment and defended the company's position, stating that it indispensable travel the laws of the countries wherever it operates.

"Based connected an bid from the Cyberspace Administration of China, we person removed these 2 apps from the China storefront only," the institution said, though they clarified that the apps had already been unavailable successful different countries.

However, a "lite" mentation of the Blued app is inactive disposable for download connected the China App Store, CNBC confirmed Tuesday.

The Wire had been the archetypal to report that Apple had made the determination astatine Beijing's order.

The disappearance of Blued and Finka is the latest illustration of China's crackdown connected app stores successful caller years.

Grindr, a fashionable cheery dating app from the U.S., was removed from the iOS store successful 2022, days aft the Cyberspace Administration of China began a crackdown connected contented it considered amerciable and inappropriate. 

Later successful 2023, Beijing announced caller policies requiring each apps serving section users to registry with the authorities and person licenses. That determination had resulted successful a question of overseas apps being removed from iOS. 

The pursuing years person besides seen regulators proceed to entreaty straight to companies similar Apple to region definite apps owed to issues with their content. 

In April 2024, Apple removed Meta's WhatsApp and Threads from iOS pursuing an bid from the CAC, citing nationalist information concerns.

Apple has proven a willingness to comply with these requests successful China, which represents its largest oversea marketplace extracurricular the U.S.

The takedown of Blued and Finka besides apt reflects expanding crackdowns and censorship of the LGBTQ assemblage successful China. In caller years, the authorities has shuttered large advocacy groups, including the Beijing LGBT Center. 

While homosexuality was decriminalized successful China successful 1997, same-sex matrimony remains unrecognized. 

— CNBC's Evelyn Cheng contributed to this report.