Grindr has been removed from the Chinese version of Apple’s app store and is no longer available in the country’s Android marketplace.
The dating app was reportedly removed from Apple’s store on Jan. 27. However, it is unclear when Grindr was removed from China’s two Android app stores, both operated by Chinese tech companies Huawei and Tencent.
The removals come days before the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. While it is unclear if the app’s disappearance is connected to the sporting event, it may have been due to a new series of crackdowns on “ill-natured” content, including pornography and gambling, reported Bloomberg.
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While China has not banned homosexual activity, it has not recognized same-sex marriages as legally legitimate. Some analysts have noticed that Chinese officials have become less tolerant of gay communities, while others have pointed out China’s tendency to censor homosexual content. Chinese officials shut down several LGBT-oriented chat groups in July.
While the app stores took down Grindr, other local gay dating apps such as Blued were left up.
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Chinese app store bans are a common practice. While some apps are removed due to updated technical guidelines, others are pulled over concerns about the hosted content. Two religious apps were removed simultaneously in October due to a software update not being approved by Chinese officials.
Grindr received news coverage during the past Olympics. TikTok and Twitter users outed several LGBT athletes during the 2020 Tokyo Games, placing some at risk if they also lived in countries with anti-gay policies.
A representative from Grindr did not respond to requests for comment from the Washington Examiner.
