Apple has confirmed that it has pulled two widely used gay dating apps from its Chinese iOS App Store, following a directive from Beijing’s primary internet regulator and censorship authority.

The move came after users reported that the apps, Blued and Finka, suddenly vanished from the iOS App Store over the weekend.

In a statement to CNBC, Apple acknowledged the removal, emphasizing that the company is required to comply with the laws of the countries in which it operates.

“Based on an order from the Cyberspace Administration of China, we have removed these two apps from the China storefront only,” the company said.

However, Apple clarified that the apps had already been unavailable in other countries.

The Wire was the first to report that Apple acted on Beijing’s directive.

The removal of Blued and Finka marks the latest instance of China’s tightening control over app stores in recent years.

Grindr, a well-known U.S. gay dating app, was pulled from China’s iOS store in 2022, shortly after the Cyberspace Administration of China launched a crackdown on content deemed illegal or inappropriate.

In 2023, Beijing introduced new rules requiring all apps targeting local users to register with the government and obtain licenses, a policy that led to the removal of numerous foreign apps from the iOS store.