Apple removes LGBTQ+ dating apps in China following government demand
So, Apple had to pull two LGBTQ+ dating apps, Blued and Finka, from its App Store in China. I know, right? It's a bummer, especially considering these apps were pretty much exclusive to China, where options are already limited. Apparently, the Cyberspace Administration of China, which is basically the internet police over there, told them to do it.
Apple's saying they have to play by the rules of the countries they're in, which, I guess, makes sense, but it's still disappointing. It's like when you're at someone else's house, you gotta follow their rules, even if you don't totally agree with them. It seems China's been clamping down on LGBTQ+ rights lately, even allegedly shutting down LGBTQ+ centers. It’s a tough situation.
Here is an interesting fact, Blued even stopped new users from signing up for a bit, and people were buying used accounts! However, it reopened a couple of weeks after.
Blued and Finka are under the same parent company, BlueCity, which also has a healthcare side, working to prevent and treat diseases like HIV/AIDS. It's sad to see something like dating apps being affected by this, especially when the parent company is doing important work in healthcare. It makes you think about the bigger picture and how interconnected everything is.
Source: Engadget