Pia Poppenreiter may have a name straight out of a Hanna-Barbera cartoon, but she belongs firmly in the world of adult entertainment. This week - a day before Amnesty International approved a policy to call for the global decriminalization of sex work - the Berlin-based entrepreneur launched Ohlala, which claims to be the world's first app for "paid dates.
Ohlala is basically a cleaned-up version of Peppr, the first app Poppenreiter developed, which provided a platform for independent sex workers to connect with prospective clients. It sparked a frenzy of media interest when it went live last year. Now 28, Poppenreiter sold up earlier this year, after she and her team disagreed on Peppr's future direction, and she's all the wiser for it. And, above all, we've flipped the booking process.
It's a move that Techcrunch equates with "putting the power back in the hands of the women. They then send their pitches to available "ladies" nearby. The escorts' profiles are private and verified by Ohlala, not least to ensure that women are signing up voluntarily.
The women decide themselves what happens next. If they choose to reply to the booking request, they can open a chat on the platform and the rest is up to them. Perhaps the date will involve dinner, a visit to the opera. Perhaps it will involve sex. Whatever course it takes, money will change hands, although Ohlala doesn't take a fee for facilitating the transaction. Instead, it aims to monetize with functions, product placement, content such as a blog and possible membership.
Although Germany legalized prostitution in , advancing or promoting prostitution is a criminal offense. Legal restrictions will inevitably be the biggest obstacles facing Ohlala's expansion. But there is growing international consensus that the Web has done more than any law had to make prostitution less hazardous. For now, Poppenreiter insists on using the term "paid dates," skirting the issue by saying that exactly what transpires when users meet is none of Ohlala's business. Are you a prostitute just because you do it once?
