Following the tragic death of Sarah Everard, who disappeared while walking home from a friend’s house in south London last week, people across the UK have been sharing personal safety tips on social media.
Police have confirmed that the body found in woodland near Ashford in Kent is that of the 33-year-old marketing executive.
A metropolitan police commissioner stated that it is “thankfully incredibly rare” for women to be abducted on London streets. However, women nationwide have shared their experiences of facing fear or intimidation.
Several useful phone features for personal safety have been highlighted, including built-in smartphone functions and popular apps with emergency call shortcuts and temporary location-tracking services.
Most smartphones include an emergency call button on the unlock screen, accessible without unlocking the device. On some phones, pressing the power button and a volume key can also activate a shortcut to 999. On iPhone 8 or later models, holding these buttons will sound an alert, start a countdown from three, and make the call automatically if the buttons are still pressed. iPhone users can also say “14” to Siri, which will prompt an emergency call.
Emergency contacts can be set up via the iPhone health app, which notifies chosen contacts if an emergency call is made. Google’s safety app on Pixel handsets has a similar function. Samsung’s emergency mode prolongs battery life while keeping the phone on standby, limiting features but enabling emergency calls, contacts, and location-sharing with minimal power usage.
Various location tracker apps are available, but constant tracking is not desired by everyone. WhatsApp users can share their location with a contact for a set period (15 minutes to eight hours) by selecting “location” from the attachment button next to the text box. Android phones with emergency location services enabled will automatically share the device’s location with emergency services during a call. iPhones ping their location after an emergency call, though this can be canceled by the user.
This iPhone shortcut, not made by Apple but popularized in the US since George Floyd’s death, requires iOS 12 or above and specific permissions. When activated, saying “Hey Siri, I’m being pulled over” dims the screen, pauses music, activates do not disturb, starts a front-facing camera recording, and sends an automated message with location to an emergency contact. It serves as a civilian equivalent to police body cameras.
Sarah Everard’s disappearance has sparked a conversation about violence against women by men. Here are some key statistics:
Men are generally more likely to be victims of violent crimes such as assault.
While official statistics are scarce, surveys indicate widespread sexual harassment.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-56373292
https://www.one2nine.co.uk/2021/01/24/womens-safety-smartphone-tips-shared-online/
https://blog.chayn.co/do-it-yourself-online-safety-guide-for-women-494a4d7c0ac4
https://blog.dashlane.com/tips-for-women-on-how-to-stay-safe-on-and-offline/
https://www.enostech.com/womens-safety-smartphone-tips-shared-online/
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