Blued Hits Pause Button: No New Sign‑Ups for 7 Days
In a rare moment of corporate introspection, Blued – the world’s largest Chinese gay dating platform – will shut down all new registrations for a full week. The decision comes after Caixin magazine highlighted a disturbing trend: underage users, who were supposedly “finding love” on the app, were actually turning into unwitting test subjects for the HIV virus.
Why the Drama?
- Underage activity boost: Academics point out a surge of teens signing up and even livestreaming game‑changing “dating sessions” on Blued.
- Risky business: A handful of these teenagers engaged in unprotected sex, resulting in new HIV infections – a serious public‑health concern.
It’s hard to ignore the irony that a “dating” app aimed at connecting adults has become the hottest spot for high‑schoolers apparently trying to navigate adult relationships.
Blued’s Quick‑Response “Over‑The‑Top” Strategy
In its Weibo statement, the company outlined a comprehensive content audit and declared a crackdown on:
- “Juvenile users posing as adults.”
- “A lot of questionable text, pictures, and group chats that involve minors.”
Blued also reminded everyone that kids are not allowed on the platform in the first place. To enforce this, it has been using artificial intelligence to filter out adult sexual content since last year. And, because HIV prevention is no joke, the app pledged extra support for AIDS education programmes.
Beyond Blued: A Rough Corner of China’s LGBT Scene
China has a defiant lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender scene, but activists caution that the government occasionally steps in. This environment makes large dating apps like Blued key battlegrounds for both connection and regulation.
Other Apps in Play
What’s this getting us? The newly‑opened based‑in‑Beijing, state‑run media Beijing News backed platform, Blued, is alive with 40 million users. Curiously, this multinational mix includes Grindr – a LA‑based global dating app also under Chinese ownership.
Instead of a “launch” of a new “propaganda app,” Blued is pressing its pause button. For now, the platform stays off‑limit, but the real question is: will it learn from its misstep and truly protect its users, especially teens? Only time will tell – for now, those who want to find a match must wait a week while Blued gets its act together.
