Gay dating app Grindr banned in China! Here's why

The popular gay dating app Grindr was banned in China over security issues. The Grindr app is a popular location-based social networking and online dating app for the LGBTQ+ community across the globe. Launched back in 2009, this was considered as one of the first geosocial apps for gay persons and gained popularity as a gay dating app globally. Grindr app ban was part of the clean-up campaign during the Lunar New Year holidays, which was announced by the China regulator ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday season.

Under the campaign, the Cyberspace Administration of China vowed on January 25 to renew a month-long round of campaigns to police what they consider as illegal and inappropriate content, that can be either pornography, superstitions, online rumours or, in Grindr’s case, promotion of gay dating. They decided to punish accounts that violate the law and share the illegal and inappropriate content. Within two days of the announcement of the campaign, Grindr app was removed in China from app stores.

Some reports, including NBC news, reported that Grindr app started diksappearing from several app stores in China during the start of this month itself. The app was removed from Apple Store in the last week of January. During that time several users complained about having difficulty in sharing messages and pictures on the app. Though, this was not the first time China has banned a gay dating app. Back in 2017, China had banned another gay dating app, Zank which was accused of sharing pornographic content. Moreover, in July 2021, several prominent LGBTQ accounts from WeChat were removed. That was a surprise as Blued and Aloha, two local rival companies of Grindr, are still available to download in China, NBC news report mentioned.

Homosexuality was decriminalized back in 1997 in China but Homosexual marriages still remain a stigmatised subject. In addition to banning gay dating apps, China has also banned the portrayal of gay romance in movies and shows.