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Country by country
Grindr in each country we test
Blocked means every network we test there failed to open www.grindr.com, twice, while it opened elsewhere. “Turned away by the site” means Grindr itself refused visitors from that country.
| Country | Result | Since | How it fails |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChinaChina Unicom and China Mobile | Blocked | 29 Sep 2026* | the connection never completes on China Unicom and China Mobile |
| RussiaRostelecom and MTS | Blocked | 29 Sep 2026* | the name doesn’t resolve on Rostelecom and MTS |
| TurkeyTürk Telekom and Turkcell Superonline | Blocked | 29 Sep 2026* | the connection is refused on Türk Telekom |
| UAEEtisalat and du | Blocked | 29 Sep 2026* | the name lookup times out on Etisalat |
| IndonesiaTelkom Indonesia and XL Axiata | Blocked on some networks | 1 Oct 2026* | a block page answers instead of the site on XL Axiata |
| IranTwo connections | Blocked on some networks | 12 Oct 2026 | the name points to a private address on ArvanCloud, Parsian High Tech, Pishgaman Toseeh Ertebatat and Tose'h Fanavari Ertebabat… |
| PakistanPTCL and Nayatel | Unstable | 29 Sep 2026* | the secure connection stalls on PTCL |
| AustraliaTelstra and Optus | Opens | ||
| BelarusBeltelecom and MTS Belarus | Opens | ||
| BrazilClaro and Vivo | Opens | ||
| EgyptTwo connections | Opens | ||
| FranceOrange and Free | Opens | ||
| GermanyDeutsche Telekom and Vodafone | Opens | ||
| IndiaJio and Airtel | Opens | ||
| ItalyTIM and Fastweb | Opens | ||
| MalaysiaTM Unifi and Maxis | Opens | ||
| NetherlandsKPN and Ziggo | Opens | ||
| Saudi ArabiaTwo connections | Opens | ||
| South KoreaKT and SK Broadband | Opens | ||
| SpainMovistar and Orange | Opens | ||
| ThailandAIS Fibre and TOT | Opens | ||
| UKBT and Virgin Media | Opens | ||
| USComcast Xfinity and AT&T | Opens | ||
| VietnamViettel and FPT Telecom | Opens |
* First observed on this date: the block may be older. Older results are excluded from current totals.
Background
Where Grindr is restricted, and why
Several governments have blocked Grindr on moral grounds. Indonesia’s communications ministry told providers in September 2016 to block it, with the gay dating apps Blued and BoyAhoy, saying they carried “deviant” sexual content after police and the child protection commission linked such apps to child prostitution cases; it confirmed in November 2020 that Grindr was still blocked. Pakistan’s telecoms regulator blocked Grindr, Tinder and three other dating apps in September 2020 for “immoral content”.
In Lebanon, mobile networks blocked Grindr in January 2019 on the telecoms ministry’s orders, without the court approval Lebanese law requires, and Freedom House found it still inaccessible there in 2023. In the UAE, the operator du publishes blocking criteria that include dating networks and LGBT+ content. Russia’s Supreme Court declared the “international LGBT movement” extremist in November 2023, which Freedom House says has led to more blocks of LGBT+ websites.
China mixes both kinds of restriction. The Great Firewall has interfered with grindr.com since at least 2015, and in early 2022 Grindr removed its own app from Chinese app stores, citing China’s new privacy law: the company’s decision, not a government block. Grindr also warns users where it isn’t safe to be openly LGBT+: in March 2023 it alerted all its users in Egypt that police were arresting gay, bi and trans people through fake and seized accounts.
Independent tests in September and October 2026 also found grindr.com blocked on most networks in Russia, Iran and Turkey. Iran restricts websites about LGBT+ rights, and in Turkey, where a court-backed request had the rival app Hornet removed from Apple’s app store in 2021, the Constitutional Court ruled a 2020 ban on Hornet unconstitutional in February 2024.
Key dates
- Grindr warns all its users in Egypt that police are arresting gay, bi and trans people through fake and seized accounts.
- Grindr removes its app from Chinese app stores, citing China’s new privacy law.
- Pakistan’s telecoms regulator blocks Grindr, Tinder and three other dating apps for “immoral content”.
- Lebanon’s mobile networks block Grindr on the telecoms ministry’s orders, without a court order.
- Indonesia orders internet providers to block Grindr, Blued and BoyAhoy, citing “deviant” sexual content.
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Method
How we test
- Test machines on two big home-internet providers in each country open the homepage every day.
- A failure counts only when it happens twice on the same network, while the site opens from other countries.
- A change is published only after a re-check a few hours later, on several machines per provider, confirms it. It’s dated from the first sighting.
- Test machines caught getting around blocks, through a VPN or a filter-dodging tool, are set aside.
- We test websites over home broadband. Apps, calls and mobile networks can behave differently.
Questions
Grindr blocks: questions
Which Countries Block Grindr?
Indonesia, Lebanon and Pakistan have ordered blocks, in 2016, 2019 and 2020. Independent tests in September and October 2026 also found grindr.com blocked in Russia, Iran and Turkey, and China’s Great Firewall has interfered with it since at least 2015. Grindr also pulled its own app from Chinese app stores in 2022.
Why Is Grindr Blocked in Indonesia?
Indonesia’s communications ministry ordered internet providers to block it in September 2016, along with Blued and BoyAhoy, citing “deviant” sexual content after police and the child protection commission raised child prostitution cases involving such apps. The ministry confirmed the block in November 2020, and Freedom House reported it still in place in 2024.
Is Grindr Available in China?
Not from Chinese app stores: Grindr removed its app from them in early 2022, citing China’s new privacy law, a decision the company took itself. Its website has faced interference from the Great Firewall since at least 2015, and independent tests still found it disrupted in October 2026.
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