Google to ban sugar dating apps from Play Store

Search engine giant Google has once again announce a change in its policy. The Android Play Store will no longer allow the Sugar Dating apps from September 1, 2021. This is a part of a number of policy changes announced by the search engine for the platform. As per the new policy it will be specifically prohibiting the what it calls the ‘compensated sexual relationships’. Some of the other changes include a fresh crackdown on the developer accounts that are inactive.

For those who do not know the drill, the sugar dating relationships is where the older or wealthier individuals hire younger partners and shower them with gifts. It has been noted that there are plenty of apps on the Play Store that help to set up ‘sugar daddy’ relationships. However, none of the apps say that only the older men are expected to compensate for younger women for affection, but it has been a pattern that the wealth of the man defines the service.

The policies of Google Play Store already prohibit the services that translate as providing sexual exchange for compensation. But it is the updated words that include compensated dating or sexual arrangements. In a scenario where one participant is expected to provide money, gifts or financial support to another participant is called as sugar dating.

At the same time the announcement by Google does not clearly say that the apps are being banned now. But it is to honor the FOSTA-SESTA legislation in the US in 2018 that removes the section 230 protections for the content that promotes prostitution. The representative from Google did not respond immediately for a comment. Apart from the dating apps, another policy has been brought that will delete the developer’s account if they have remained inactive for a year. But Google has assured that it will make exceptions for the accounts of the apps who have more than thousand installs or with those who have recent in-app purchases.

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