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.

  • doctorfail@lemmy.worldEnglish
    3·
    1 day ago

    The average American is absolutely not worse off than the average Chinese. Though I will agree that the average Chinese is ironically happier than the average American.

    Don’t get me wrong - Chinese live okay, even if they’re poor. There’s a strong sense of community, people get cheap and inexpensive goods, and outside of the tier 1 coastal cities, it’s super cheap. The walkability is excellent, and the metro and parks are world class. It’s safer. It’s cleaner. There’s few homeless people, and drug zombies are almost nonexistent.

    But: American wages are much higher and the job situation in America is less bleak. Working in America is less brutal in terms of hours and expectations. There’s way less pollution, safety standards are higher. But it’s also a society with zero charity. It’s extremely “worry about yourself and maybe your family too but that’s it”. If you’re disabled, you’re fucked. If you can’t find work after 35 because of ageism, you’re fucked. It’s extremely Darwinian. And, for what it’s worth, it’s still Chinese hopping over the border illegally to live in America, not the other way around…