Apple confirmed on Tuesday that Chinese authorities ordered the removal of two major gay dating apps from mobile app stores in China.
The move, directed by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), the country’s top internet regulator and censor, comes amid a broader crackdown on LGBTQ expression under President Xi Jinping. Same-sex marriage remains illegal in China, and activists say official pressure on LGBTQ communities has intensified in recent years.
“Based on an order from the Cyberspace Administration of China, we have removed these two apps from the China storefront only,” an Apple spokesperson told AFP, adding, “We follow the laws in the countries where we operate.”
Over the weekend, Chinese social media users noticed that the full versions of the affected apps, which share a Hong Kong-based owner, had disappeared from Apple’s and Android’s app stores.
Apple said one developer had previously chosen to remove its app from stores outside China, while the other had been available only domestically. As of Tuesday, an express version of one app remained accessible in China, while its international version, HeeSay, was still available globally.
HeeSay’s listing in Apple’s store says it connects “54 million LGBTQ+ individuals worldwide.”
AFP could not immediately reach the CAC or the apps’ parent company for comment.
In 2022, China also removed the popular gay dating app Grindr during a government “clean-up” campaign ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympics.
