Outrage Over Google Hooker App

There's an app for the Android that works as a Grindr for local hookers and some folks are pissed at Google about it.

The issue of sex trafficking of minors is hyped all too frequently by culture warriors and law enforcement to restrain civil rights and hound those engaged in what is a legal and regulated profession in many parts of the world. But human sex trafficking is nonetheless a real problem that grows when its perpetrators have access to global online networks. When asked about what they’re doing to prevent illegal traffickers from gaining access to their networks, Google has responded by issuing vague statements about “specially trained teams,” “working with law enforcement” and the “latest technology.” But the $11.5 million they recently gave to groups fighting against human sex slavery has the appearance of buying off critics rather than actually dealing with the underlying problem.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) says:

It is appalling beyond belief that someone would try to market an ‘app’ like Utoopi, which is about illegal escort services plain and simple. Google must live up to its own stated promise to ban the promotion of sex services by immediately removing Utoopi from the Android ‘app’ marketplace hosted by Google. A real utopia would be a society in which major corporations like Google take responsibility for preventing their platforms from being hijacked by those who would market the bodies of young women and men to the highest bidder.