Distress apps, How safe

In the aftermath of the horrific Delhi gang rape and subsequent death of the victim, namedNirbhaya by TOI, the one topic that is being endlessly discussed across households in the country is women's safety and precautions that will help women stay safe. When it comes to that, self-defence classes and carrying aroundpepper spray top the list of essentials that every women ought to equip herself with. The tech-savvy lot are, however, also giving priority to and relying on their smartphones to help them.

As it turns out, SOS apps that function across platforms are the new inthing that every woman with a smartphone ought to have. Several applications that send out distress messages to your friends and pin point your exact location have been among the most downloaded items. But do these apps really work and give you a sense of safety? "They work, but need to be modified to make them effective ," says clinical research associate Denet Pradeep, who downloaded one of these applications recently. 
She says, "When I activated it, a message went out to some friends that I've triggered a safety alarm and need assistance ." However, there is a flip side as Denet discovered. "The message also read that the app could not determine my position . That defeats the whole purpose of having such an app. Also, it works only if you have the internet turned on all the time, which may not be feasible for people on certain data tariff plans," she adds. 
Media professional Nupur K equipped herself with not one, but two such apps. "The first one sends out SMS to my close friends, with an approximate location. The second app lets out a shrill whistle intermittently. It is really loud," she says. 
But despite these apps, Nupur concedes that she still doesn't feel safe. "For starters, my exact location will not be known to my friends and they'll just be worried about my safety. More importantly, though, when you are in a dangerous situation, looking at your phone, scrolling to the app and activating it, may be the last thing on your mind. You'd rather run away than activate it," she says. Denet adds, "Developers should look at making the apps functional even without the internet," she says. 
Interestingly, it's the fact that 3G connectivity is still not very reliable that has several women not opting for app security. 
"With 3G being the way it is in India, you never know whether it is working and hence, you won't know if the app is functional when you need it," says marketing consultant , Shreya Reddy, who drives alone to work.