A smartphone app designed to help people make decisions about sexual consent was pulled from the iTunes store after its release Sept. 23.
The app, marketed as an educational app and privately funded by Sandton Technologies, was subsequently pulled from the Android app store by its creator.
Good2Go spokeswoman Kate Rice said in an email the app was “inspired” by a conversation its creator, Lee Ann Allman, had with her college-aged children.
“Both of her children had questions about affirmative consent, what it means, and how best to obtain it,” Rice said. “The app was born out of trying to find an educational solution that would help young people learn how to communicate better and teach them how to have that very important conversation about consent.”
“The app was created for college students, ages 18-25, to help them learn the language of consent and make that language a comfortable and natural inclusion when approaching a potential partner,” Rice said, adding that the app is currently being redesigned.
Caitlin Borthwick, a third-year law and legal studies student at Carleton University said she likes “Good2Go’s aim in that it tries to prevent and reduce sexual abuse. Sexual assault is an enormous problem.”
However, Borthwick said she sees a flaw in the app’s goal.
“I’m not entirely sure that people are going to download it in the first place, as it may make the premise of hooking up a lot more awkward to some people,” she said.
Borthwick added “there may be some serious legal and privacy issues that may arise from the app . . . by using Good2Go, you are informing a third-party company about who you’re sleeping with and how much alcohol you’ve consumed.”
The 2.0 version is set to be released in 2015.
“It’s unfortunate that Apple pulled the app from iTunes, but it has given Sandton Technologies an opportunity to really critically look at all the feedback they have received about the app and incorporate that into the rebuild of Good2Go,” Rice said.
Rice said an online forum through the Good2Go website allows users to contribute feedback towards their redesign of the app.
“Experts who are the closest to the issue of sexual assault are being consulted for their insight and opinion about what the next version of the app should be,” Rice said.
“The Allmans and G2G leadership are extremely proud of what they have accomplished in raising the level of conversation about sexual assault to an international level and are excited about the future of the app and company.”
