(Yicai Global) Jan. 7 - Blued, a gay social media platform with more than 40 million users worldwide, announced yesterday it will cease registration for a week and begin screening text, pictures, groups and users who impersonate minors. 

The app lacks minor screening and content monitoring mechanisms, China's financial and economic media Caixin Weekly reported.

Blued has no identity check mechanism, which means that age can be filled in at will, Caixin Weekly concluded in its investigative report that appeared on Jan. 5. Youths are visible everywhere on the app, which has many junior high school communities. 

The report highlighted the app's vulnerabilities in minor protection and AIDS prevention, and stated robots stalk its platform touting pornography and illegal drugs.

Blued announced on Jan. 6 it would close its registration for a week and sieve content and conduct rectification. It also stressed that the app bars those under the age of 18.

Geng Le, a former police officer, started a gay dating website called 'Pale Blue Memories' in 2000 and then launched Blued in 2012. This application has since expanded to encompass the largest gay community in China and has over 40 million registered users in 193 countries and regions, of whom 30 percent are overseas.

Beijing Blue City Brothers Cultural Media which operates the  app, has received more than USD100 million in investment. 

Geng Le said at the company's anniversary in November that it was valued at USD1 billion and was mulling a Nasdaq listing, a statement making the rounds on social media claimed.

Editor: Ben Armour