(MENAFN) China’s leading gay-dating platforms, Blued and Finka, have been taken down from the local Apple Store following directives from Beijing’s internet authority, according to Wired.

Blued, launched in 2012, is the nation’s largest gay-dating application and at its peak had over 60 million users globally.

Its international expansion has been curtailed in recent years due to stricter government regulations.

Finka, a newer contender favored by younger users, quickly rose to prominence as one of China’s fastest-growing LGBTQ+ platforms thanks to its combination of social networking capabilities and game-like interface.

As reported by Wired, Apple removed both applications from its China App Store following instructions from the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), the agency responsible for monitoring online content and data safety.

The report did not clarify the exact timing or reasoning behind the directive.

However, users on Chinese social media observed that the apps had vanished from the store over the past weekend.

Existing users can still access the apps, but they are no longer available for new downloads.

Apple confirmed the removal in a Monday statement. “We follow the laws in the countries where we operate. Based on an order from CAC, we have removed these two apps from the China storefront only,” an Apple representative said in an email to Wired.

The company also noted that both apps had previously been withdrawn from other markets. Requests for comment from Blued and Finka went unanswered.

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