Welcome to Wired's Uncanny Valley.

I'm Zoe Schiffer, Wired's director of business and industry.

Today on the show, we're bringing you five stories that you need to know about this week,

including our scoop about how the Department of Homeland Security, or DHS,

collected Chicago residents data

for months in violation of domestic espionage rules.

I'm joined today by Wired's executive editor, Brian Barrett.

Brian, welcome to Uncanny Valley.

So we thank you for having me.

Our first story this week takes us to China. Our first story this week takes us to China.

Our colleagues Zay Yang and Luis Metzakis reported that Apple removed two of the top gay dating apps from the app store after receiving an order from China's main internet regulator.

This confirmation comes as users of these

apps called Blued and Finka started noticing and sharing on social media that they could no longer

find them on the app store and on several Android app stores as well. The apps appear to still be

working for people who already had them downloaded, but it is a blow to the LGBTQ community in China.

And this is a community that doesn't have a lot of options to begin with, right?

Most international apps that are gay dating apps have already been blocked.

Same-sex marriage is not legal in China.

It is not a very welcoming country to begin with.

Honestly, one thing that really surprised me with this reporting was simply the fact that Apple confirmed it to us, which is pretty unusual, as you and I both know.

Yeah, they are reticent to acknowledge their especially touchy around China, the way they handle data there, their supply chains over there.

It's all a pretty live wire for them. So interesting that they confirmed it. And unclear whether, you know, there's always a chance these apps could come back that's happened before. Although given the way that the climate is in China, in the U.S. at Apple, it seems unlikely. It seems like this is a avenue that is closed off for people now. It's also a shame because these were more than just dating apps. One of these apps in particular

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