Meaning of having ‘panic button’ in your mobile phone
In a way, this button will be a means to make an emergency call. In basic phones it will be integrated in number 5 or 9. Holding on the emergency number will activate the panic button. At present it is not clear to which government agency this alert will go. It is possible that the government may link it to a single emergency number 112, as is the case with 911 in the US.
As of today, users can download Delhi Police’s Himmat App and CanvasM on smartphones. These can be used in crisis situations. But the government says that in case of emergency, it may take a lot of time to launch an app. Now according to the new law, “Panic alert should be activated by long pressing the number (5 or 9). Or by pressing the power on or off button three times in succession.”
Not only this, GPS navigation system has also been made mandatory in all phones from January 1, 2018. With this the user’s location can be easily detected. This may also affect the price of the phone.
It is not clear from the notification issued by the government as to which people will automatically receive a phone call after hitting the panic button. And what kind of information will be included in this call.
It is worth noting that travel apps like Uber and Ola in India already come with a panic button. Pressing the panic button in the Uber app automatically calls the local police. With this, the GPS location of the cab, identity and phone numbers of the passenger and driver are shared with the police.
To keep in mind the new requirements, now all phone manufacturing companies including Apple and Samsung will have to make some changes in the software for the panic button.
Apple will easily make this feature a part of its mobile by making changes in the software. But it is difficult for Android users. Because today there are many companies making phones based on Android.
Another question is whether there will be a delay in the launch of some phones in India due to this feature. Actually, many smartphones are launched in China or America before being introduced in the Indian market. Now adding a separate panic button in the Indian variants of the phone can be irritating. It is possible that due to this there may be a delay in introducing the phone in India.
