BlueCity releases its very first ESG and CSR reports

World-leading LGBTQ platform makes strides in HIV prevention, user privacy protection and more

BEIJING, Aug. 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BlueCity Holdings Limited ("BlueCity" or the "Company") BLCT, a world-leading online LGBTQ platform, today released its 2019 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report and 2019 Corporate Social Responsibility Report, both in their very first editions, which highlight the Company's initiatives to drive progress towards a more diverse and inclusive space for its employees, its 49 million users globally and wider society.

"We are thrilled to issue our first CSR and ESG reports today, though a strong commitment to social responsibility has been rooted in our brand DNA since day one," said Baoli Ma, Founder, Chairman and CEO of BlueCity.

"We have always believed in the power of technology and understood the responsibility tied to it. We will continue to improve our products and governance to meet the needs of the underserved LGBTQ global community with both commercial services and our public interest initiatives."

Highlights of the Company's achievements include:

HIV prevention

• The Blued app facilitated about 50,000 online appointments for HIV testing at more than 200 partnered testing establishments in China as of 2019
• 12,304 hours of staff voluntary service were dedicated to HIV-prevention
• Over 10 million page views for HIV-prevention content on BlueCity's platforms

R&D and privacy protection

• We have invested RMB 130 million (approx. USD 18.7 million) in research and development during 2019 with a dedicated team of 130 people, accounting for 26% of our total staff.
• Information security and users' privacy is our top priority, which is especially important for the LGBTQ users that we serve. We have invested significant resources in this area and adopted the principle of data minimization, which limits personal data collection, storage, and usage to data that is relevant, adequate, and absolutely necessary for carrying out the purpose for which the data is processed.
• We encrypt confidential personal information we gather from our platform and have established strong internal protocols, under which we grant classified access to confidential personal data to a limited number of employees with strictly defined and layered access authority.

Content Monitoring and Preventing Use by Minors

• Due to the real-time nature of live streaming, a popular feature of the Blued app, BlueCity utilizes a combination of manual screening and AI image recognition technology to promptly remove any inappropriate or illegal content. In 2019, more than 1.47 million pieces of illegal and inappropriate content were removed.
• The Blued app strictly limits people under the lawful age from using its platform, which is clearly and repeatedly stated in its user terms and conditions, new-user registration page, welcome screen, home page banner, and chat interface. Once a user is determined to be underage, the account concerned will be identified and blocked by the platform.

In addition to the information released in the 2019 reports, BlueCity has actively adopted measures to help our community and broader society in the fight against the ongoing COVID-19 crisis globally, including:

• Organizing #StayProud: A Virtual Pride Experience, Blued's first-ever online pride event in late June to encourage the LGBTQ community to stay strong and proud during these challenging times, with profits of the show donated to the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
• Our partnership with not-for-profit organizations in countries such as South Korea, India, Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam to donate much-needed medical supplies or conduct COVID-19-related training and education.

BlueCity was ranked at No. 12 among 50 top Chinese Internet companies for its CSR performance in 2019 according to a latest report released last month by China CSR Research Center, an affiliate of Southern Weekly, one of the country's most influential media outlets.

Launched in 2003, the annual ranking is one of the most authoritative CSR performance indices in China.

Read the full reports here:

ESG | CSR

About BlueCity

BlueCity is a world-leading online LGBTQ platform, providing a full suite of services aimed at empowering the LGBTQ community in every aspect of their daily lives. As a central hub of BlueCity's services and platforms, the Blued mobile app allows our users to connect with each other, express themselves, and access professional health related services and family planning consulting services at their fingertips. Blued has connected more than 49 million registered users worldwide as of March 31, 2020 and has a leading foothold in many markets.

Investor Enquiries:

Lingling Kong
BlueCity Holdings Limited
Email: ir@blued.com

The Blueshirt Group
Susie Wang
Email: susie@blueshirtgroup.com

Media Enquiries:

Vincent Tang
BlueCity Holdings Limited
Email: tangyue@blued.com

Lingyi Hou
Weber Shandwick
Lhou2@webershandwick.com