Malaysia’s push to curb LGBTQ dating apps like Grindr tests limits of internet control

South China Morning Post · Feb 26, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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Malaysia is weighing new legal measures to curb LGBTQ dating platforms, widening concern among rights groups that the country is pushing deeper into morality-driven internet regulation, even as its control of global app stores remains limited.Authorities have already blocked access to the websites of Grindr and Blued – two internationally used dating apps popular among gay, bisexual and queer men – Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said in a written parliamentary reply.But while their websites have been blocked, the Grindr and Blued apps themselves remain available for download in Malaysia through Apple’s App Store and Google Play.The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), the country’s internet regulator, is “examining several legislative measures to curb these applications”, Fahmi said on Tuesday.However, he acknowledged that control over apps listed on the two global app stores was subject to the policies of the foreign owned companies that operate them.The distinction underlines a practical limit: while Kuala Lumpur can restrict access to websites domestically, removing an app from major app stores would require cooperation from Apple and Google.Limited leverage