Consent to ‘hooking up’? There’s now an app for that…

Free Northerner reported this already in his Lightning Round yesterday, but I had also noticed it myself, in an article at the CBC’s website, here.

Just when you thought that dating in the digital age couldn’t possibly get any more complicated (or weird,) a new app that allows prospective partners to give each other sexual consent via smartphone has entered the game.

Geared towards “college-age adults,” Good2Go bills itself as an app that “seeks to prevent or reduce sexual abuse, miscommunication, or regretted activities by facilitating communication and creating a pause before sexual activity so that both parties can ask and gain affirmative consent.”

Basically, it tells those who are interested in hooking up whether or not their date is ready for the same level of action, in clear and explicit terms.

But first, a user must divulge his or her own level of sobriety.

The app’s website explains the process of using Good2Go as follows:

“Before asking a girl to come back to his room, a guy would launch the app, which asks the question “Are you Good2Go?” and hand his phone to the girl. She may indicate yes or no, but if she is interested and says yes, she will be asked about her level of sobriety. If she answers “Sober,” “Mildly Intoxicated,” or “Intoxicated but Good2Go” (anything other than “Pretty Wasted”), she will be asked to enter her phone number and the app will verify her identity. This process can bring clarity to the situation and help reduce the possibility of miscommunication. If a man does not receive a positive response, he should not start an encounter.”

[…]

Noble as Allman’s intentions may be, the app is facing its fair share of criticism this week as news of its existence spreads.

While Good2Go makes clear on its website that the app is not legally binding, Slate’s Amanda Hess points out that it could nevertheless “contribute a dangerous new element to those he-said she-said rape cases.”

There’s also the issue of personal data and privacy.

The Washington Post’s Caitlin Dewey writes that when you use the app, “you’re also telling a new mobile development company with no Internet footprint or track record to speak of (a) who you’re sleeping with, (b) when you did it, and (c) how drunk or sober you were at the time.”

“Per its privacy policy, Good2Go can share that information with law enforcement, ‘third-party service providers’ and e-mail marketers — or anyone else, really,” continues Dewey, “‘for any reason, in Good2Go’s sole discretion.'”