“Door-to-door massage, the price is 499 yuan [US$72], and the [cab] fare is extra," one service provider said when asked by a reporter which of her services were not listed in the app.
Our own look into the apps showed they do have content that could be characterized as risque. Some users showed off in skimpy clothes and posted suggestive introductions, with one companion characterizing herself as a BBW (big beautiful woman). The apps also include the height, weight and sometimes even the zodiac sign of each companion.
China is no stranger to the boyfriend and girlfriend rental business, but other iterations had fewer illegal connotations. The girlfriend rental business first came into the spotlight when stories came out about young people renting partners for Chinese New Year to stop their parents from pressuring them to get married.Of course any apps that connect people have the potential to facilitate illicit activities. Dating apps Momo and Tantan, China's answer to Tinder, have also both been accused of facilitating prostitution and pornography.ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tK%2FMqWWcp51krqOtwq6qaJulocG2vsRomKusmZi5pnuSaWlybGBmfLOxza2gp59dqLWivsSdZKChoqGzs7XEp5tmm5ieu6J5z6umm5mSocZusdeamq2kqWLEqa3TZqCtZaOkwq%2Bw0g%3D%3D