A controversial smartphone app for sexual consent has been taken off the market just two weeks after its launch.
Called Good2Go, the app was removed from iTunes Tuesday after Apple Inc. determined that its content was “excessively objectionable or crude.” It was voluntarily removed from the Google Play store shortly afterward.
Marketed toward “college age adults,” the app was created in response to concern over the high rates of sexual assault on campuses in the United States. Before having sex, users could digitally confirm consent by clicking a button on the app’s screen.
In a press release, Good2Go president Lee Ann Allman said Apple’s decision left her “surprised.” The company plans to resubmit an updated app within the next few months.
According to Allman, Good2Go is intended to “facilitate open and honest conversation” while sparking discussion about sexual assault.
Good2Go’s privacy policy came under scrutiny after it became clear the company was keeping records of user data.
Ryerson University professor and digital media expert Jaigris Hodson was among those concerned by the app’s potential legal ramifications.
“If somebody says ‘yes’ on the app … a judge could look at the results of that app, which are held on file and accessible via subpoena, and say, ‘Well, no actually, that wasn’t sexual assault’ … even if consent was withdrawn later,” Hodson told The Ryersonian last week.
While it’s unclear whether privacy concerns played a part in Apple’s decision to remove the app, Good2Go has said it will no longer capture or store data. Existing data records have been deleted.
The Good2Go website has been out of operation since Friday evening. According to the press release, the company is modifying its website.
No spokesperson was immediately available for comment.
Deanne Bender completed her Masters of Journalism at Ryerson University in 2015.