The Indian government has taken an important step for the security of people. It has made it compulsory for all smartphone brands to include a panic button in smartphones.
According to a notification of the Department of Telecommunications, all smartphones sold in India from January 2017 will have to come with a panic button and an inbuilt GPS. With these things, it will be easier for women in distress to seek help. With GPS, it will be easier to track the mobile phone user in case of any emergency.
Feature phone users will be able to connect to emergency services by long-pressing 5 or 9 number keys. Smartphones will come with a separate panic button. In case the separate panic button is not possible, companies will add three times press on the power button to receive help.
“Technology is solely meant to make human life better and what better than using it for the security of women,” communications and IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said. “I have taken a decision that from January 1, 2017, no cell phone can be sold without a provision for panic button and from January 1, 2018, mobile sets should have inbuilt GPS.”
Primary reason for this decision is the security of women in India. Due to increasing crimes against women, the Indian government has taken few hard steps. It also has plans to enforce the 911-style system in the country in coming months.
