The arrival of the American website Seeking Arrangement, which pairs up young women with rich businessmen has caused a fair amount of consternation in France and even led to calls for it to be banned. The launch of the French site, which went live in February, has been the talk of the French media this week.
But in a country like France, where all talk of money and earnings is seen as taboo, one might have expected the website to be given the cold shoulder. But it seems the French are falling for it like everywhere else. A landmark bill that aims to punish clients of prostitutes with hefty fines is currently snaking its way through the French parliament. Osez Le Feminisme, keen supporters of the legislation, want lawmakers to crack down on sites like Seeking Arrangement.
Angela Jacob Bermudo, a spokeswoman for the French Seeking Arrangement site rejected the accusations and told The Local the site was proving popular in France.
Prostitution is an exchange of sex for money. These relationships do not include sex," Bermudo told The Local. We strictly prohibit the solicitation of sex for money on all of our websites. It is not just the money that helps, but also the mentorship of the successful and wealthy men. France is one of the countries where we have a rapidly increasing amount of members," she said.
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