Blued and Finka were removed from Apple's App Store and certain Android App Stores.

Blued and Finka were removed from Apple’s App Store.

LGBTQ+ rights and acceptance have taken another hit in China, with Apple removing two of the countries biggest LGBTQ+ dating apps. Wired reports that Blued and Finka are no longer available on the iOS App Store or certain Android App Stores following orders from the Cyberspace Administration of China, the country’s internet regulator and censor.

Apple told Wired that it must “follow the laws in the countries where we operate.” Both dating apps were available solely in China, where LGBTQ+ dating apps are minimal — Grindr, for instance, hasn’t been available on Apple since 2022. Blued exists internationally under the name HeeSay.

China has increasingly cracked down on LGBTQ+ individuals’ rights and groups in recent years, allegedly shuttering large organizations like the Beijing LGBT Center in 2023. For reasons unknown, Blued previously stopped new registrations this past July, with individuals buying second-hand accounts to use the app. However, it reopened in the middle of August.

  • eldavi@lemmy.mlEnglish
    1·
    1 day ago

    you’re conflating your expectations with reality. this article is propaganda, the chinese queer community feels like they’re on their own and expect discrimination to come from their peers rather than their government and you would know this if you really were on rednote.

    • RaivoKulli@sopuli.xyzEnglish
      1·
      1 day ago

      I’d rather believe the actual victims of that discrimination I’ve talked to, tbh, than you.

      • eldavi@lemmy.mlEnglish
        1·
        1 day ago

        the problem is that you’re not talking to them; you’re taking in a propagandized version of them that are getting paid to say those things.

        • RaivoKulli@sopuli.xyzEnglish
          1·
          18 hours ago

          I’m sure these regular people I’m talking to are secretly CIA because they complain about the discrimination lol

          • eldavi@lemmy.mlEnglish
            1·
            17 hours ago

            you’re not talking to anyone and the real funny part is that my gov’t has admitted several times publicly that they do this, but people like you still believe it’s a conspiracy theory.

            • RaivoKulli@sopuli.xyzEnglish
              1·
              16 hours ago

              So the people I know don’t exist but they’re also CIA spies. I guess that’s easier for you to stomach than the idea that China doesn’t treat their minorities well.

              • eldavi@lemmy.mlEnglish
                1·
                16 hours ago

                you’re not talking to any queers in china; the cia has spies everywhere; and you’re changing the subject again.

                  • eldavi@lemmy.mlEnglish
                    1·
                    6 hours ago

                    it’s interesting how you conflate 2 things that are barely related to each other, in this case:

                    1. you’re not talking to queers in china; but are pretending that you are to double down on your beliefs.
                    2. the american government has repeatedly admitted publically that it run propaganda factories throughout the world and especially in china.

                    i guess i can see how you get the 2 thing confused with one another since they’re tangentially related to china and i would too if i too refused to do some light reading to educate myself about the world.