London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 23, 2025

The technology helping keep women safe on the streets

The technology helping keep women safe on the streets

Half of all women have felt unsafe at some point walking alone in the dark, according to recent figures from the Office for National Statistics.

They might call a friend, share their location on WhatsApp, or have their keys to hand - all strategies to stay secure.

Sexual harassment against females has been under the spotlight for most of this year, with women across the UK turning to their own methods to feel better when they are out at night.

So could technology play a role in making women feel safer on our streets?


Since the murders of Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa, the WalkSafe app has had a surge in popularity, and is now the fastest-growing safety app in the UK.

Founder Emma Kaye came up with the concept after experiencing harassment, groping and flashing.

"Our app is really bitter-sweet because, of course, we love that we're busy. However, we really wish it didn't have to exist. No-one wants to live in a world where we need a safety app, but sadly there is a place for it," she said.

WalkSafe will have a new sat-nav feature coming early next year, which will include a live map where your family and friends will be able to track your journey and chat with you in real time. For now its unique selling point is a map which allows people to plan their safest route home, by looking at recent crime data.

Ms Kaye said: "Our app encourages people to have precautionary measures to avoid crime, rather than reactionary measures when in an unfortunate situation.

"We have senior ex-Metropolitan Police detectives and crime analysts comb through this data, and categorise it into areas the user would want to know about. By looking at the crime patterns, users can identify crime hotspots so they can plan safer routes."

Since launching in March this year, the app has had more than 560,000 downloads.


At the University of Bath, researchers are trying to solve the problem of safety products which are difficult to physically activate. They are developing a women's smartwatch app called Epowar which would automatically send alerts if it senses the user is in distress - by monitoring heart rate and body motion.

Co-founder, student E-J Roodt, said the idea came to her while jogging in a badly-lit park, and worrying about the risk of an attack.

"When I saw that smartwatches were being used to detect heart attacks I thought, well, maybe that technology could be applied to women's safety," she said.

Although the sample size is small, the app uses artificial intelligence to recognise distress, and responds if a user is attacked when walking or running alone.

Ms Roodt said: "It occurred to us that a smartwatch with this app may be a way to alert others if a woman is restrained or struggling.

"The key is that it would all happen automatically, and an assailant would have little or no time to prevent this - which is not always possible with conventional panic buttons, rape alarms or your mobile phone."


Prosecutions


Founder of the bSafe app for smartphones, Rich Larsen, believes his technology could help bring about prosecutions.

It has an emergency alarm feature which is voice-activated. It then automatically starts live-streaming video and audio to chosen contacts, and records everything that is happening.

Mr Larsen said: "These recordings could be used in evidence in court cases - like rape - which are often hard to prove."

The features of the app are based on the experience of his daughter, Charlen, who was raped. Charlen - who's waived her right to anonymity in order to speak out on the issue - thinks if she had had bSafe, she wouldn't have had to struggle as much with the guilt and shame she felt.

Crown Prosecution Service data for 2020 shows that of the 58,845 rapes recorded, only 2,102 were prosecuted, with 1,439 resulting in convictions.

bSafe has also been of interest to other app companies. Mr Larsen said: "We are currently developing a API-platform so we can easily implement these features in other apps."

Government priority


In July the Home Office launched a £5 million fund to help improve the safety of women in public spaces at night. Some of the successful bids include initiatives involving technology.

For example, police in Bristol are using new kits to test whether drinks have been spiked in nightclubs.

Cheshire police are improving current call handling technology to provide an instant visible and reassuring response to a female calling for support.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority is promoting access to an online link with safety information for women on public transport, such as bus tracking, so there is no longer a need to stand alone at a bus stop.


Technology can also be misused by those seeking to harm or frighten people. So, for instance, the same technology that allows you to find your lost smartphone can be used by someone wanting to track or stalk someone.

Paladin, the national anti-stalking advocacy service, says tech firms need to do more to protect victims if tech is misused.

Rachel Horman-Brown, chairwoman of the charity, said: "Many victims are tracked and monitored through their phones or tablets by spyware.

"So actually stalkers don't even need to physically get a tracking device on the victim to be able to monitor them.

"Spyware is concerning as it can enable a stalker to switch on the camera on a victim's mobile phone, so that they can see and hear what is happening. They can also read and send text messages from the victim's phone, as well as tracking their whereabouts."


The proliferation of tracking devices, like Apple AirTags or The Tile, which help you find your wallet, keys or luggage, has also led to an increase in fears of stalking.

"These small inexpensive tags can potentially make it very easy for a stalker to hide one in the victim's car or personal possessions, and then be able to track their victim's whereabouts," said Ms Horman-Brown.

Bigger issue


Farah Nazeer, chief executive at Women's Aid, believes the issue of safety cannot be solved by tech alone: "Whilst technology - such as safety apps on phones and smartwatches - can play a role in helping women feel safer on the streets, these interventions are temporary sticking plasters, which ignore the real cause of male violence against women.

"Women feel unsafe on our streets, not because of a lack of street lighting or safety apps, but because of the culture of sexism and misogyny, which makes violence against women and girls all too common. It must not be tolerated any longer.

"Far too many women continue to tell us that their experiences at the hands of violent men are belittled, disbelieved and dismissed by police and the criminal justice system - the very services that are supposed to protect us.

"We must focus on challenging the sexist attitudes that are deeply rooted in these services and systems, so that women can walk home feeling confident that they are safe and protected."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
×