User:Trevj/FightBack (app)

FightBack is a personal safety app for Android, BlackBerry Nokia and Symbian smartphones, released in 2012. It was the first such app available in India.

Development
The app was written by CanvasM Technologies and developed by Whypoll and Mahindra Group. It was stated in January 2013 to be one of the most widely used, and was the first personal safety app available in India.

It is commercial software, although free use has been granted in the aftermath of the 2012 Delhi gang rape case.

Features
The app is specific to India. It requires the user to log in to Facebook  and is able to alert up to six contacts, sending the user's "nearest identifiable locality". It requires a SIM card in order to function.

The alerts are sent by text message, email and (optionally) Facebook, with the app also using the phone's GPRS, GPS and Google Maps. They are also shown on a web portal. Readers of the Facebook message are directed to the portal, where the sender's location is displayed in Google Maps, with the time of the alert. They should also be able to follow the sender's location, although this was apparently not the case in January 2013.

It also features a facility to contact the emergency services.

Reception
It has been praised for alerting up to six contacts, and noted that it does not start up quickly. The fee of Rs 100 per year (in 2012) was noted as being "small", along with the possibility that its existence might still dissuade some potential users. Its installation was noted (especially via PC) as "quite a demanding task".

The demands on the phone's battery of being required to keep the data connection enabled was noted as a possible disadvantage on conventional Android handsets. The app does not include facilities to directly control such devices, and data security regarding the user's location has been questioned. It has been suggested that users also "keep a can of pepper spray handy".