KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has blocked same-sex dating websites Grindr and Blued and will study legal measures to curb the presence of LGBTQ+ dating apps from app stores, its communications minister said on Wednesday (Feb 25).
Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), however, has not received requests to remove the mobile application versions of Grindr and Blued from app stores, noting challenges due to such apps being foreign-owned.
“Control over applications on platforms such as Google Play and Apple Store is subject to regulations and policies set by the said platform providers, since both applications are owned by foreign companies operating outside of Malaysia,” Fahmi said in a written parliamentary reply on Wednesday.
He was responding to a question on whether MCMC has worked with app store providers to block downloads of such apps.
MCMC is examining several legal measures to curb such applications and will take action against content or apps that violate local laws, he said.
“This includes those that spread lewd or immoral content, exploitation, abuse, scams, exploiting children or threats towards public safety,” Fahmi added.
Action that could be taken include requesting content removal from platforms, restricting access, or referring cases to enforcement agencies such as the police for further investigation, according to local media.
Countries where Grindr has been restricted include Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey, Lebanon, Qatar, Pakistan, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, according to a list on Grindr’s website.
Meanwhile, Apple removed Chinese-owned dating apps Blued and Finka, China’s two most widely used gay dating apps, from its app store in November 2025, after receiving orders from the Chinese chief internet regulator and censorship body.
Blued and Finka were not available on Apple’s App Store as of Nov 11, 2025, and the apps had been erased from locally adapted platforms in China that serve Android devices, reported CNN.
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