Apple has removed the gay social network Blued and dating app Finka from its China App Store after an order from the Cyberspace Administration of China, extending a fresh wave of online censorship.
«We follow the laws in the countries where we operate,»
Apple said, confirming the removals apply to the China storefront only. Both services, used by tens of millions, were launched in China (Blued in 2012; Finka is Beijing-based).
The move follows earlier actions in China, where Threads and WhatsApp were delisted in 2024 on national security grounds, Apple News remains unavailable, and Apple has previously taken down dozens of VPN apps and thousands of games. China accounted for $67bn (£51bn) in iPhone sales last year.
While homosexuality was decriminalised in the 1990s, LGBTQ+ content in China often faces online restrictions; same-sex marriage is not legal and queer characters are frequently removed from film and TV. U.S. app Grindr exited China in 2022 amid a privacy crackdown. Wired first reported the latest removals.
