  This paper reports an interview study about how consent to sexual activity is
computer-mediated. The study's context of online dating is chosen due to the
prevalence of sexual violence, or nonconsensual sexual activity, that is
associated with dating app-use. Participants (n=19) represent a range of gender
identities and sexual orientations, and predominantly used the dating app
Tinder. Findings reveal two computer-mediated consent processes: consent
signaling and affirmative consent. With consent signaling, users employed
Tinder's interface to infer and imply agreement to sex without any explicit
confirmation before making sexual advances in-person. With affirmative consent,
users employed the interface to establish patterns of overt discourse around
sex and consent across online and offline modalities. The paper elucidates
shortcomings of both computer-mediated consent processes that leave users
susceptible to sexual violence and envisions dating apps as potential sexual
violence prevention solutions if deliberately designed to mediate consent
exchange.
