What's a Consent App and Why It's NOT a Good Idea

There's an app for THAT?

Yes. And while it seems like a good idea, it's a slippery slope and folks are talking about it.

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What's a CONSENT APP?

Exactly what it sounds like. An app that records consent between two adults about to engage in sexual activity. It records the "agreement" and is supposed to be a means to keep parties safe from accusations and so on.

Some of these are capable of recording video and claim that the agreements between the two consenting adults is legally binding, explicit, and formal consent.

A digital contract. Before the date.

Sounds like a good idea right? Maybe?

Consent apps get suggested every few months as a 'solution' to fighting sexual violence. But the problem is, these apps seem to fundamentally misunderstand how consent actually works. Not only that, they fail to take into account sexual coercion, and people being pressured to consent to sex. (Mashable)

Let's not forget someone's prerogative to CHANGE THEIR MIND at any time and withdraw consent.

But if you've already got someone consenting on an app (and video) of them saying it's ok, then some would feel that this now gives someone the green light to continue and commit sexual assault or rape.

Here's a stat that's truly alarming.

According to YouGov, a third of men believe a woman can’t change her mind after sex has started.
Jaclyn Friedman, author of Yes Means Yes, wrote that we've started to replace old rape myths with modern-day misinformation, including the idea "that consent is just a hurdle you have to clear in order to Get The Sex." (Mashable)

Apps are good for a lot of things.

But this?

There is a lot of grey area in how men and women interact in the modern world, but something as important as consent shouldn’t be one of them.
Word to the wise, if it’s not a clear ‘yes’ then it’s a ‘no’ and in regards to the tech side of it, if someone requires an app to prove legal consent before jumping into the sac with them then you shouldn’t be having sex with that person to begin with. (The Journal)

Boom.

Mic drop.

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