Source: National Cyber Security – Produced By Gregory Evans
High-crime London neighbourhoods will be flagged up by a controversial new social app that offers people the choice of a “safe” or “risky” route to their destination. RedZone aims to become a “virtual neighbourhood watch” with GPS navigation similar to the A-to-B directions of Google Maps, but with a verbal warning when the user nears a crime hotspot. Algorithms “geo-fence” troublespots using sources including Met police data, news stories, crowdsourcing and social media. Users input to and from points and are offered a slower route deemed safer or a faster, but allegedly riskier, one. RedZone, free on Apple iOS, also features reporting buttons for users to “broadcast an incident” by dropping pins on a map, including the option of attaching photographs and video. Founder Ted Farnsworth told the Standard he planned releasing a London version within a month and denied it could unfairly stigmatise neighbourhoods after some Twitter users claimed the US version was racist. A “view crime” button shows incidents, including stabbings, assaults and thefts, as pins over the past six months and clicking on a pin shows the date it occurred. Users can drop their own pins for crimes and also alert others to hazards, traffic cameras, road […]
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