Across India, especially in West Bengal, I’ve noticed a growing trend. Everyone seems to be developing an SOS-based safety app. On paper, it looks promising. It gives an impression that technology is being used to protect people. But here’s the question we need to ask:

"Is our country truly ready for such a system?"

Almost every smartphone today already has an inbuilt SOS feature. It can instantly alert emergency contacts, share live locations, and even call for help. Yet, very few people know how to use it. Some have never even tried it once. This isn’t a problem of technology, it’s a problem of awareness, infrastructure, and response.

Despite this, a growing number of developers and startups are creating SOS apps just for the sake of joining the “safety” trend. Many of them use the word ‘safety’ as a selling point to attract users, downloads, and funding, not to actually make people safer. These so-called safety apps are often poorly built, unverified, and insecure, exposing users’ personal data and live locations to unnecessary cyber risks.

In the name of protecting people, these apps are actually creating new cyber security threats. When sensitive personal information like contact details, locations, or emergency messages, is stored without proper encryption, it becomes a target for misuse. That’s not innovation. That’s exploitation under the label of “SAFETY.”

If we truly want to improve safety, we must first build the foundation:

~Educate People about using the SOS functions already built into their phones.

~Develop Real Coordination between technology, citizens, and law enforcement.

~Prioritize cyber security and data protection before launching any safety-related digital tool.

As a Cyber Security Researcher and Cyber Crime Criminologist, I strongly believe that true safety begins with awareness, education, and responsible innovation not just technology for show. We don’t need another SOS app. We need a Reliable, Cyber-secure Safety Ecosystem, one that genuinely connects people with help when it matters most.

True innovation isn’t about using the word “SAFETY” to make money. It’s about creating something that actually saves lives.

Until that happens, these so-called safety apps will remain just that words on a screen, not real solutions.