LegalFling allows you determine what will be on the menu before parties get involved in sexual behaviour.
In recent times, new light has been shed on the importance of consent in sex, with a slew of women coming out to name men who went too far with them.
Legalfling is an app designed to help you avoid getting caught pants-down, literally, without stating expressly what it is you want to do.
How does it do this?
By making you sign a contract.
LegalFling is created by the Dutch firm, LegalThings. The software is designed to make sure that explicit consent is given before people engage in sexual behaviour.
The app also makes allowances for many of the peripherals associated with sexual intercourse.
It provides options such as approval for photos and videos to be made, whether a condom should be used, a guarantee that prospective partners are STD-free and whether you are comfortable with the use of explicit language and bondage and sadomasochism.
How does it work?
Users send a request for consensual sex to the person of their choice through the app.
The request, apart from offering sex, also contains proposals on various subjects that may come up during and after intercourse.
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After the do’s and don't’s are sorted out, the user may then accept or reject the offer with a simple tap of the phone.
Presently, the app is just a concept. It is not even in beta phase yet but the creators hope that it will gain enough traction to become a real thing.
How does this apply here?
While the first point of use that comes to mind would obviously be flings (imagine this coupled with Tinder), the app is also useful for long-term relationships.
In the sense, it brings to mind the many blurred areas that exist within sexual relationships such as the matter of when either partner is interested and how far they are willing to go.
This is very important.
Let’s paint a scenario.
Two young people decide to have a fling. During intercourse, one tries to exert an unnecessary amount of force and get physical, something which the other does not agree to.
After their sex abruptly comes to an end, the pained party pulls out a camera hidden in a corner of the room, and after thinking how the girl did him wrong, uploads the video to the internet.
The conversation about sex at present hovers mainly around two subjects; consent and revenge porn, to a lesser degree.
Whether by nature or nurture, what passes for acceptable conduct during sex is usually very subjective.
For men, for the most part, forceful persuasion is seen as a tact, rather than a problem and it often leads to less-than-ideal sexual encounters.
In our scenario, a LegalFling agreement helps both parties know what is on the table, how far either person is willing to go and provide a clear agreement that can be enforced.
Yup. You can take a LegalFling contract to court.
While the app’s existence is one thing, its practicability is another issue entirely, especially here at home.
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There’s still a stigma associated with the use of apps and software in regards to sex.
One should also understand why few people would be willing to sacrifice actual conversation for an app that makes sex appear like you’re building a bitmoji for Snapchat.
There’s also the contract. As much as it is healthy and necessary to set boundaries, bringing fragments of the legal world into sexual behaviour is something that may appear a bit too contrived.
Still, it doesn’t take away from the makers’ good intentions.
In a statement on the firm’s website, a spokesman said: "Sex should be fun and safe, but nowadays a lot of things can go wrong."
‘Think of unwanted videos, withholding information about STDs and offensive porn reenactment.
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‘While you’re protected by law, litigating any offenses through court is nearly impossible in reality.
‘LegalFling creates a legally binding agreement, which means any offense is a breach of contract.
We feel you, bro.
As consent and boundaries become more important, as they should, we should expect to see some more inventions like this.
Nigerian men could use more than a little help with their conduct. If a software is what we need to make it happen, then so be it.