Grindr, a dating app that caters to the LQBTQ community, disappeared from the Apple App Store in China. Bloomberg reported that it also became unavailable on Android app marketplaces. The gay-dating service vanished from popular app stores operated by domestic companies like Huawei and Tencent. But local Grindr competitors like Blued remain accessible on iPhone and Android devices.
The rumored disappearance of the app might have been attributed to difficulties keeping it in compliance with China’s Personal Information Protection Law. The new regulation is a local version of Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR. It went into effect at the end of 2021. Specifically, the law restricts personal information stored in apps. It also requires data transferred between China and other regions to comply with the Chinese government.
The concern follows the Chinese government’s notice two weeks ago that it would be cracking down on illegal content, pornography, and illegal online activities online. The severe restrictions happened before the opening of the Winter Olympics in Beijing.
While homosexuality isn’t prohibited in China, people observed that government policies have been increasingly intolerant. Beijing censors have also taken issue with gay themes in media. In 2016, the Chinese government banned a hit online drama, “Addicted,” from streaming on Chinese websites. The removal of a show that depicts two men in gay relationships caused criticism from millions of viewers.
Heightened restrictions ahead of the Winter Olympics
The new efforts to regulate internet content come just before the Beijing Winter Olympics, which started on February 4. The Cyberspace Administration of China declared a month-long campaign to silence online rumors, pornography, and other illegal content.
Some Grindr users in China complained about connectivity issues in the past few weeks. The glitches include the inability to send and receive messages or add likes.
Removal of the app store has become common in China
Pulling out of apps has affected various services ranging from news to podcasts and maps. The government has concerns about the apps used to access unpleasant content or enable illegal activities in the country. Gaming apps seem to be a frequent target, as evidenced by tens of thousands removed. Last year a famous Quran app also vanished.
The current legal environment has proved to be challenging for foreign tech firms. Some of them have pulled out services from the market. For instance, Microsoft said it would be withdrawing its Chinese LinkedIn service in October. Epic Games, Inc. gave up the Chinese version of Fortnite in the following month.
Meanwhile, Apple did not immediately issue a statement on Grindr’s removal. But the company defines its approach to dealing with human rights issues abroad in this document. The said document that Apple continuously strives to make quality products, contents, and services available to users while respecting their human rights. In addition, the company noted in that document that it is “required to comply with local laws, and at times there are complex issues about which we may disagree with governments and other stakeholders on the right path forward.”
Even if Grindr, one of the world’s most popular LGBTQ dating apps, disappeared, Bloomberg said that local alternatives like Blued are still available in China.
In 2020, the Chinese founder of Grindr, Beijing Kunlun Tech Co., sold the app to investors for almost $600 million. However, that year it announced it was selling the service to the US-based company San Vicente Acquisition after US authorities articulated national security concerns.
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