Grindr Disappears from China App Stores

Popular gay dating app Grindr has disappeared from China’s app stores, including the Apple Store, as government officials tighten control over online behavior. 

Chinese officials said there were compliance issues with Grindr regarding China’s Personal Information Protection Law, according to Bloomberg. The law requires that data stored in applications that is transferred to other locations be approved by government officials, and it limits the amount of personal data stored in apps.

In addition, China’s Internet authority began a month-long campaign to identify and eliminate any illegal and sensitive online content, according to the Bangkok Post. This move comes at an interesting time, coinciding with the celebration of the Beijing Olympic Games and the Lunar New Year.

While homosexuality has not been illegal in China since 1997, same-sex marriage is still illegal, and openly discussing LGBTQ+ issues remains a sensitive issue. The government has banned the depiction of gay romance in films and censored web content already.

China-based gay dating app Blued has tried to make progress with the Chinese government regarding LGBTQ+ issues and has managed to make some progress by fostering communities on its app, but the disappearance of Grindr on the app store could set their efforts back. Despite Grindr’s absence, Blued is still available on Chinese platforms.

The case of Grindr is complicated, because the app was once owned by Chinese-based company Beijing Kunlun Tech until they were forced to sell by the U.S. government. The U.S. agency overseeing foreign investments cited privacy concerns, since the sensitive personal data of U.S. government and military officials using the app, including HIV status, would be available to the Chinese government. The dating app was sold to U.S. investors in 2020.

The government announced its crackdown on certain types of Internet content at the end of January, and shortly after, Grindr was no longer available. Mobile research firm Qimai announced that Grindr had disappeared from platforms in the country, including the Apple Store, which Apple confirmed.

In a statement, Chinese government officials said that the campaign aims to "create a civilised, healthy, festive and auspicious online atmosphere for public opinion during the Lunar New Year.”

Leading up to Grindr’s takedown, users were increasingly reporting problems with the app, particularly in sending and receiving messages and loading pictures, according to NBC News. Some users employed a VPN (virtual private network) to get around the country’s censorship system, known locally as the Great Firewall.

The Bangkok Post also noted that last year, accounts belonging to LGBTQ+ rights groups on university campuses were blocked from WeChat, the most popular communication and social platform in the country.