Crackdown Intensifies: China Removes All Major LGBT Dating Apps

China has begun removing LGBT dating apps from major app stores in a nationwide campaign that officials describe as a defense of traditional values. Regulators framed the decision as part of a larger effort to manage online content and preserve what they call cultural stability. The removals follow years of tightening restrictions on LGBT expression across digital platforms including the suspension of community groups, the removal of pride related posts, and the shutdown of public forums.

The current ban targets apps that once provided safe meeting spaces for LGBT users in cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. Many of these platforms became important social networks for young people seeking connection in environments where public visibility can still carry risk. Advocacy groups argue that the ban isolates these communities even further by cutting off one of the few accessible avenues for meeting others and building support systems.

The enforcement is part of a broader pattern in which China has increased oversight of digital life, from limiting youth gaming hours to removing celebrities accused of promoting trends considered non traditional.