National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) spokeswoman Lina Nealon says Google has announced a significant change in policy, "basically prohibiting sugar dating apps from being available on the Google Play store."
She goes on to explain that "sugaring" is a form of prostitution and says a growing number of businesses are "catering to rich, established men looking for younger, financially insecure women." So on a notorious sugar dating hub like SeekingArrangement, such men exchange gifts like money, jewelry, or travel for intimacy.
"We're calling on credit cards to now cut ties with SeekingArrangement. We had called on Google as well, publicly on Google to cut ties with SeekingArrangement," Nealon details. "We're so glad they did that, and we really hope that Visa, Mastercard, and other major credit cards follow suit."
NCOSE is also calling on federal and other law enforcement officials to recognize that the sites on its 2021 Dirty Dozen List are hiding under the euphemism of sugar dating, when the truth is they are facilitating prostitution, which is illegal in most jurisdictions.
Google Play's new policy goes into effect September 1, 2021.
