Blued and Finka, two of China’s most popular gay dating apps, have vanished from Chinese app stores were no longer available on Apple’s App Store or Android-based platforms in China.
The removal further limits the already shrinking digital space available to LGBTQ Chinese citizens, who face growing censorship and surveillance from the government.
Blued, launched in 2012 by Beijing-based BlueCity Holdings, quickly became the country’s dominant gay dating platform, reporting more than 54 million users worldwide by 2020. Finka, founded in 2019, grew rapidly among Gen Z users for its community-oriented features.
In recent years, Chinese authorities have shut down Pride parades, banned same-sex storylines in television and film, and ordered the removal of dozens of LGBTQ student and advocacy group accounts from WeChat, the country’s dominant messaging app.
The removals mark the latest blow to China’s queer community, sparking concern among LGBTQ advocates about an intensifying government clampdown on queer spaces, both online and offline.
Being gay cannot be banned
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