Walk me home: UK eyes phone-tracker for protecting lone women
One of the British government’s top officials is backing Walk me home, a phone tracking app that claims to protect women who’re walking home alone. The idea comes after the outrage over two women’s slayings in London.
What is ‘Walk me home’ all about?
The CEO of BT, Britain’s largest phone company mentioned ‘walk me home’ a phone-tracking service in a letter to Priti Patel, the Home Secretary. Patel’s office confirmed that she received the letter and would respond to it in ‘due course’. “This new phone line is exactly the kind of innovative scheme which would be good to get going as soon as we can. I’m now looking at it with my team and liaising with BT,” said Patel.
How does ‘Walk me home’ work? Once activated by the user, the service takes the user’s journey and alerts their emergency contacts if the user does not reach home on time. According to reports from The Mail, the service can be up and running as soon as Christmas 2021. Additionally, it complements the country’s existing nationwide emergency number. After all, BT has been running the 999 emergency number for the last 84 years.
Is there a need for a phone tracking service?
A service tracking womens’ phones and alerting emergency contact or the authorities could be a huge benefit. The service comes in the wake of violence against women. In March 2021, a serving police officer abducted Sarah Everard, a 33-year-old working as a market executive. She was also raped and killed. Later, convicted for murder and other offenses and sentenced to a lifetime in prison. Six months later, a man killed Sabrina Nessa, a 28-year-old primary school teacher in a park. Nessa was on her way to meet a friend.
“Male violence is causing so many people, especially women, to live in fear. And their parents, partners, and friends worry too, more now than ever,” said Jansen. “I am not a politician, I can’t change society. But, if I can use innovative technology to improve personal safety, then I am determined to do so,” he added.
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