Google is banning sugar daddy apps from the Play Store

[midian182]

In brief: There are several types of apps Google doesn’t allow on its store, including pornography, those promoting hate speech, any that sell dangerous products, and, as of September 1, another category: sugar daddy apps.

Android Police reports that Google’s latest Play Store policy update includes new restrictions on sexual content, specifically prohibiting “compensated sexual relationships,” I.e. sugar daddy or sugar dating apps.

For those unfamiliar, sugar daddy is the term for an older, usually quite wealthy man who financially compensates a woman for companionship and/or sexual favors. There are also sugar mommys, which is the same arrangement but with the male and female roles reversed.

They'll all be gone soon

There are currently several of these apps available on the Play Store, many of them with the words “Sugar Daddy” in their names. Some have over one million downloads, and most have user ratings of four stars or higher.

“Are you looking for a generous sugar daddy seeking arrangements? Do you want a beautiful and young sugar baby to increase the fun of life? Whether you are seeking serious sugar daddy relationships or casual hookup dating, you can make full use of the online secret arrangement dating app and find both of them easily and safely,” reads one of the app’s descriptions.

Sadly for those who use these apps, they will be removed from the store on September 1, leaving users the option of a website or sideloading, the latter of which can come with security risks.

Elsewhere, Google is updating its Financial Services policy so that as of September 15, the definition of what the total cost of a loan is will be clarified, and all personal loan apps must be properly tagged under the Finance category. Additionally, on September 29, Google will prohibit spam text and graphics in app titles, icons, and developer names.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/90593-google-banning-sugar-daddy-apps-play-store.html

 

[Nobina]

Damn, first time I hear of these kind of apps. Guess I missed my window to find me a sugar mommy.

 

[Hardware Geek]

"Oh yeah baby! Side load me harder! You know how I like it!"

 

[VaRmeNsI]

I figure they will just alter the wording to skirt around the ToS.

 

[Adi6293]

Isn't this almost like dating apps....? just for money? I see no problem here

 

[punctualturn]

This is BS. They need to stop treating adults like little children.

 

[QuantumPhysics]

The Japanese call it Enjo Kosai.

Kevin Samuels calls it: “Winter is coming “.

As the economy restarts and a lot of females try to return to work only to realize that they’ve lost a lot of their cushy office jobs that aren’t coming back, a new level of desperation is slowly rising.

My city, New York City has gone to lengths to legalize prostitution because they already know that those welfare checks aren’t going to be flowing regularly from the government and these women are going to turn to “other means“ in order to make ends meet.

 

[Avro Arrow]

Kinda gives a whole new meaning to the term "There's an app for that!"

 

[Dimitriid]

Isn't this almost like dating apps....? just for money? I see no problem here

There really is no problem. This is just big corporations being openly allergic to sex work despite this being a very mild form of it that is so innocuous to people without the context that they can't use their usual "WILL SOMEONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN!" arguments.

 

[Avro Arrow]

Isn't this almost like dating apps....? just for money? I see no problem here

Dating for money.... I do believe that this is called "prostitution" and is illegal in most of the world. I don't think that it should be, but it is, especially in the ALL-IMPORTANT Excited States of 'Murica (outside of Nevada IIRC). Remember that Backpage and Craigslist got in major trouble for certain "adult ads" that were listed on them. If you allow "Sugar-Parenting" to go on, it would just be another case of "The laws of the land do not apply to the rich." and that's even worse than prostitution being illegal.

 

[Avro Arrow]

This is BS. They need to stop treating adults like little children.

Unfortunately, the exchange of money for sex is the very definition of prostitution and it's (also unfortunately) against the law in most of the world.

When you think about it, adults have been treated like children in this manner for centuries. I have always thought that prostitution should be legal so that sex workers would have protection under the law but as long as it isn't, the powers that be will always be trying to prevent or hinder it. This is what has happened here.

Until society gets over its sexual hang-ups (which are primarily drawn from religious dogma), this will not change.

 

[Geralt]

When I came to Russia, my wife was my sugar mommy for one year. Next I became her sugar daddy

 

[Avro Arrow]

There really is no problem. This is just big corporations being openly allergic to sex work despite this being a very mild form of it that is so innocuous to people without the context that they can't use their usual "WILL SOMEONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN!" arguments.

The very real problem Dimitri is that the exchange of sex for money as an agreement (except as a dramatic art form) is illegal in most of the world. Don't forget what happened to Craigslist and Backpage. Google is just covering its own posterior by doing this. They don't want what happened to Backpage and Craigslist to happen to them.

I think it's all barbaric because prostitution should be legal.

 

[Avro Arrow]

When I came to Russia, my wife was my sugar mommy for one year. Next I became her sugar daddy

That's a lot of sugar!

 

[captaincranky]

When I came to Russia, my wife was my sugar mommy for one year. Next I became her sugar daddy

That's a lot of sugar!

In terms of most sales transactions, I believe that's called, "bait and switch".

 

[Dimitriid]

The very real problem Dimitri is that the exchange of sex for money as an agreement (except as a dramatic art form) is illegal in most of the world. Don't forget what happened to Craigslist and Backpage. Google is just covering its own posterior by doing this. They don't want what happened to Backpage and Craigslist to happen to them.

I think it's all barbaric because prostitution should be legal.

While what you're saying is technically accurate, most of the world has decriminalized sex work.

It exists in this very in-between place where is not really persecuted as a matter of law enforcement but people still don't want to accept it as a legitimate profession for consenting adults to engage in.

And this is precisely because of companies like Google having policies like this: I bet almost none of these apps posses actually legally actionable or even technically illegal activites that are decriminalized being engaged here: it is not illegal to offer companionship or relationship in exchange for money as long as you don't explicitly mention sex on the app itself.

In fact the "sugar daddy" dynamics typically involve far more than sex: what the sex worker here offers it's not just sexual acts but often far more actual companionship akin to what you'd find on regular, consensual long term relationships.

There's simply nothing that you can't point to and go "This is illegal!" and even little that could make Google liable, this is probably just about their corporate PR which basically is a soft enforcement of patriarchal rules against sex work.

 

[punctualturn]

Unfortunately, the exchange of money for sex is the very definition of prostitution and it's (also unfortunately) against the law in most of the world.

When you think about it, adults have been treated like children in this manner for centuries. I have always thought that prostitution should be legal so that sex workers would have protection under the law but as long as it isn't, the powers that be will always be trying to prevent or hinder it. This is what has happened here.

Until society gets over its sexual hang-ups (which are primarily drawn from religious dogma), this will not change.

You are absolutely correct.

 

[Adi6293]

Dating for money.... I do believe that this is called "prostitution" and is illegal in most of the world. I don't think that it should be, but it is, especially in the ALL-IMPORTANT Excited States of 'Murica (outside of a single county in Nevada IIRC). Remember that Backpage and Craigslist got in major trouble for certain "adult ads" that were listed on them. If you allow "Sugar-Parenting" to go on, it would just be another case of "The laws of the land do not apply to the rich." and that's even worse than prostitution being illegal.

See the problem is that by making prostitution illegal governments create more problem that they solve, is just like with weed. I personally would never pay for sex because quite frankly 5 minutes with a woman isn't worth £100 lmao but I think these women who do think for a living would be much safer if this was regulated and they worked in a brothel than on the streets

 

[captaincranky]

Actually, this "sugar daddy" thing, is a lot closer to being legal than illegal.

It just depends on how you think of it. AFAIK, "one night stands" aren't a crime. As as long as there's no paperwork involved, nor a price agreed on beforehand, you should be gold.

The more I watch these, "sexual harassment" scandals pile up against famous people, the more I think if I were rich, I'd rather pay for sex up front, as opposed to having some 60 year old hag reliving her glory days on the "Today Show", with me as the villain..

Although, any how it goes down, sex always seems to have messy consequences. I think that's why we have our pets spayed and neutered.

 

[wiyosaya]

See the problem is that by making prostitution illegal governments create more problem that they solve, is just like with weed. I personally would never pay for sex because quite frankly 5 minutes with a woman isn't worth £100 lmao but I think these women who do think for a living would be much safer if this was regulated and they worked in a brothel than on the streets

Weed is rapidly becoming legal in the US, and there is even the possibility that it will become legal at a national level. IMO, the tax revenue will be helpful, though I am sure there are those who disagree with me. There is even a movement to legalize psychedelics - https://www.marijuanamoment.net/cal...sion-of-psychedelics-like-psilocybin-and-lsd/

The same thing for sex, however, will probably take much longer in the US.

 

[Avro Arrow]

You are absolutely correct.

Thanks. This is one of those times that I don't like being correct.

 

[Avro Arrow]

See the problem is that by making prostitution illegal governments create more problem that they solve, is just like with weed. I personally would never pay for sex because quite frankly 5 minutes with a woman isn't worth £100 lmao but I think these women who do think for a living would be much safer if this was regulated and they worked in a brothel than on the streets

You're preaching to the choir my friend. I completely agree with you. Sex workers are people like everyone else and they deserve protection under the law. If prostitution was legal, it would also destroy most human trafficking rings because the victims wouldn't fear prosecution.

 

[Avro Arrow]

In terms of most sales transactions, I believe that's called, "bait and switch".

If "bait and switch" means being married to a Russian woman, SIGN ME UP!

 

[Avro Arrow]

While what you're saying is technically accurate, most of the world has decriminalized sex work.

It exists in this very in-between place where is not really persecuted as a matter of law enforcement but people still don't want to accept it as a legitimate profession for consenting adults to engage in.

And this is precisely because of companies like Google having policies like this: I bet almost none of these apps posses actually legally actionable or even technically illegal activites that are decriminalized being engaged here: it is not illegal to offer companionship or relationship in exchange for money as long as you don't explicitly mention sex on the app itself.

In fact the "sugar daddy" dynamics typically involve far more than sex: what the sex worker here offers it's not just sexual acts but often far more actual companionship akin to what you'd find on regular, consensual long term relationships.

There's simply nothing that you can't point to and go "This is illegal!" and even little that could make Google liable, this is probably just about their corporate PR which basically is a soft enforcement of patriarchal rules against sex work.

You make good points and I don't disagree with them but I do still think that their lawyers did get at least a little spooked by what happened to Craigslist and Backpage.

 

[SixTymes]

The Japanese call it Enjo Kosai.

Kevin Samuels calls it: “Winter is coming “.

As the economy restarts and a lot of females try to return to work only to realize that they’ve lost a lot of their cushy office jobs that aren’t coming back, a new level of desperation is slowly rising.

My city, New York City has gone to lengths to legalize prostitution because they already know that those welfare checks aren’t going to be flowing regularly from the government and these women are going to turn to “other means“ in order to make ends meet.

"As the economy restarts" LMAO! everything else you said is true, ecxept that.