The Panic Button app by Amnesty International was designed with journalists and human rights activists in mind, so that if they happen to find themselves in a threatening situation, a help notification will be sent to a pre-determined set of contacts.
If you're in need of aid, sometimes extreme discretion is important, which is why the app is disguised as a calculator. This way, if someone searches your phone, they'll be none the wiser. To call for help, users can either press the phone's power button rapidly five times or repeatedly press a number on the calculator.
The app was conceptualized during an open IDEO challenge in 2012 and it has since won the FreedomHack competition in 2013. Now, it's in beta mode and completely open-source, available for Android users to download through Google Play.
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Disguised Safety Apps
- Develop apps that can call for help in dangerous situations without being detected.
- Open-source Mobile Apps
- Create apps that are developed with open-source intent to enable sharing and collaboration among users.
- Emergency Contact Notification Apps
- Develop apps that can immediately notify pre-determined contacts when a user is in danger.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Journalism
- Journalists and reporters who work in dangerous areas can benefit from having access to discreet safety apps.
- Human Rights
- Organizations focused on human rights can utilize open-source mobile apps to improve the safety of their employees and volunteers.
- Emergency Services
- Emergency services can benefit from having access to emergency contact notification apps that can help them respond quickly to situations.
