The "App-Elles" application, allowing victims of harassment to send direct alerts to the police or their relatives, has been hailed a success by the City of Liège.
The city shared the initial outcomes of its promotional campaign for the application, which was introduced in December 2022. Since the launch of the campaign, over 80,000 views and approximately 2,000 accounts have been recorded, in part thanks to the assistance of student associations and the use of Facebook posts as the primary advertising platform.
Surveys conducted in various areas of the city, such as the Carré district, have shown that people are aware of the existence of the application, which is seen as a promising development, Sarah Debouny, Project Manager at the City of Liège, told RTBF.
Geolocation and audio recording features
The "App-Elles" application functions through a trust-based network. Users must invite and connect with each other, and only the user seeking protection can send an invitation to a contact to become their protector. Each contact can have up to three protectees and three protectors, fostering commitment and strengthening the relationship between them.
Contacts possess detailed information about the user, such as their name, age, exact address, health condition, level of danger, and the specific environment they are in, enabling them to optimize assistance and take necessary measures.
Once the trusted network is established, an alert can be triggered when a person feels insecure on a certain route, encounters a potentially violent individual, or goes jogging in a less frequented area, for example. This sends an SOS to each protector, allowing them to intervene in real-time, and is accompanied by a 15-second audible alarm.
Protectors can identify the person sending the message, locate their address, track their real-time position, and listen to captured sounds and voices through the mobile phone's microphone. All alerts are automatically recorded and backed up, and senders can download them for up to 15 days after the incident took place.
The alert system can also be used proactively to warn about potential dangers or threats. Users are encouraged to organise their network of protectors, share concerns, explain their reasons for using the application, and discuss their expectations in such situations.
Evidence in investigations
The app’s geolocation and audio recording features can also be valuable in legal proceedings, thereby addressing the challenges faced by victims when testifying.
Additionally, users can issue alerts to record events or conversations involving perpetrators of malicious acts or recurring violence, and these recorded alerts can serve as evidence in social or legal investigations.
App-Elles is not the only digital protection project to be launched in Belgium. The Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) recently allocated funding to the "MOMENT-GPS project," aiming to map feelings of vulnerability in Brussels, particularly concerning gender-based disparities.
Participants can score locations, contributing to a continuously updated geographical picture of the feeling of safety in various neighbourhoods. By uncovering differences in the feeling of safety throughout different seasons or times of day, the project aims to inform interventions designed to enhance safety in specific areas.
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This follows on from the launch of the "Blijf van mijn lijf" (Don't touch my body) app in 2018, developed by the Brussels-Capital Region Authority in collaboration with the anti-discrimination movement "Touche pas à ma pote." This app allows individuals to report harassment on the streets, and a group of volunteers known as "Street Angels" can be notified to assist victims.
