Ohlala launches Uber-like instant paid dating app in New York

But it is definitely <em>not</em> a crowdsourced escort service, the founders say.

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[Konstantin5478]

I really wish men would have to verify identity. Have their cards charged for $1 and refunded or smth. In case things... go wrong for a woman and police need to find the guy.
Well, when you are a new startup its hard to dictate your terms. Maybe later.
P.S. I also wish they verified women pictures, through webcams on smartfones or smth. Sorry to sound like a jerk.
P.P.S. Oh, if men pay through website with credit card, then their identity is verified I guess, so it is much safer for a woman then just streets/craiglist.

 

[klexas]

I can see this getting very, very , very messy.. It's like these 'startups' are just looking to be a nuisance.

They seem to not understand that they are facilitating and enabling people with seriously nefarious intentions.

The question will be who is liable when things go awry.. Like in the case of an uber rapist driver.. Are Oohlala willing to be responsible for enabling a malicious person ?

This is a somewhat disheartening idea of how technology advancements are supposed to improve our lives.

 

[erendorn]

klexas[/url]":3lwguap7]I can see this getting very, very , very messy.. It's like these 'startups' are just looking to be a nuisance.

They seem to not understand that they are facilitating and enabling people with seriously nefarious intentions.

The question will be who is liable when things go awry.. Like in the case of an uber rapist driver.. Are Oohlala willing to be responsible for enabling a malicious person ?

This is a somewhat disheartening idea of how technology advancements are supposed to improve our lives.

To be fair, if you have seriously nefarious intentions, it's easier to go for a prostitute working in the woods, hiding from the police and that you pay with cash, than one with whom your conversations are logged and tied to your phone number, and that you pay with a credit card.

 

[scharrelei]

"Technically legal" - also known as "legal".

 

[neodorian]

scharrelei[/url]":dosdvtf5]"Technically legal" - also known as "legal".

Technically legal - the best kind of legal.

 

[cassandrakhaw]

scharrelei[/url]":3ue6uzg8]"Technically legal" - also known as "legal".

This is what I get for trying to be concise. :< Prostitution is legal in Germany but, like, there are areas where you're not allowed to ply your trade, for example? And places where a sex worker can only operate their business during certain hours. If you go against that, you'll be fined/jailed/etc.

-C

 

[scharrelei]

Prostitution is regulated, like any other business. There are also areas where you get fined if you sell hot dogs, but nobody would describe food trucks as "technically legal in Germany."

 

[JiveTurkeyJerky]

I'm still confused how this isn't an escort service.. Someone is paying someone else for a date - isn't that the definition of an Escort situation?

NY AG already took on DraftKings for "we're not a gambling site, but a paid fantasy sports competition site".. don't see how he'll look upon this any differently..

 

[Richard Berg]

cassandrakhaw[/url]":15xe9akg]

scharrelei[/url]":15xe9akg]"Technically legal" - also known as "legal".

This is what I get for trying to be concise. :< Prostitution is legal in Germany but, like, there are areas where you're not allowed to ply your trade, for example? And places where a sex worker can only operate their business during certain hours. If you go against that, you'll be fined/jailed/etc.

-C

The word you're looking for is "regulated".

 

[Zhengyi]

cassandrakhaw[/url]":3gt98qn7]

scharrelei[/url]":3gt98qn7]"Technically legal" - also known as "legal".

This is what I get for trying to be concise. :< Prostitution is legal in Germany but, like, there are areas where you're not allowed to ply your trade, for example? And places where a sex worker can only operate their business during certain hours. If you go against that, you'll be fined/jailed/etc.

-C

Legal then, and regulated.

Thank you for the story; it's interesting to think about apps like this maybe contributing to the mainstreaming of sex work, and hopefully, concomitantly working to reduce the harms associated with it.

 

[visgean]

Well I tried to register and the SMS did not come :/

Anyway it might be interesting to see the effect of this application on a legislation. Its not like its changing the accessibility to prostitution, its only making it visible. Might as well lead to some reforms... But we will see if they will be as loud as Uber was with their lawsuit...

 

[Shavano]

klexas[/url]"lex7i9o]I can see this getting very, very , very messy.. It's like these 'startups' are just looking to be a nuisance.

They seem to not understand that they are facilitating and enabling people with seriously nefarious intentions.

The question will be who is liable when things go awry.. Like in the case of an uber rapist driver.. Are Oohlala willing to be responsible for enabling a malicious person ?

This is a somewhat disheartening idea of how technology advancements are supposed to improve our lives.

Don't mistake don't care for don't know. They expect to make a bunch of money before somebody shuts them down and somehow escape going to prison for operating an illegal prostitution ring -- unless they're only operating in jurisdictions where that's legal.

 

[Shavano]

JiveTurkeyJerky[/url]":35z70qxi]I'm still confused how this isn't an escort service.. Someone is paying someone else for a date - isn't that the definition of an Escort situation?

NY AG already took on DraftKings for "we're not a gambling site, but a paid fantasy sports competition site".. don't see how he'll look upon this any differently..

This is the same sort of argument Uber uses. They'd say they're not an escort service the same way Uber isn't a taxi service, even though from the user's perspective, that's exactly how it works.

 

[cbreak]

cassandrakhaw[/url]":1g1m5f1n]

scharrelei[/url]":1g1m5f1n]"Technically legal" - also known as "legal".

This is what I get for trying to be concise. :< Prostitution is legal in Germany but, like, there are areas where you're not allowed to ply your trade, for example? And places where a sex worker can only operate their business during certain hours. If you go against that, you'll be fined/jailed/etc.

-C

Just like peeing, smoking, taking pictures, selling alcohol, driving or operating heavy machinery.