The phones sold in India should have from 2017 a "panic button" to warn of danger, the government said on Tuesday (27). The goal is to prevent sexual assaults in a country with many problems of violence against women.
"Pressing the button, the police, family members and designated friends will be alerted. With it, you can give an immediate response to issues related to cases of danger, "explained the Minister of Indian Communications, Ravi Shankar Prasad, on Twitter.
The minister stressed that the main goal is "to help the endangered women with the power of technology." The cell should furthermore count in 2018 with a GPS system for your location "in case of harassment or danger," said Prasad.
The Indian Minister of Women, Maneka Gandhi, described as "historic step for safety" legislation passed by the Department of Telecommunications, which states that the new phones will include the "panic button" from January 1, 2017 and the old will have to install it.
The button will correspond to keys 5:09 on any device. In smartphones, it will be set on the power button on and off, to send the warning when played three times.
"The goal is to provide a safety net for millions of women who face danger in their daily life," said Gandhi, as it expects the alert button acts "as a deterrent to criminals."
Gandhi said that the new legislation is part of the Narendra Modi government policy to combat violence against women in the country, where complaints of aggression only increase, though largely by greater social awareness.
According to the National Bureau of India Crimes Register (NCRB, the acronym in English) in 2014, complaints of aggression against women increased 18% and rapes rose by 31%.
The case occurred in December 2012, when a young woman was raped in a group on a bus in progress in the Indian capital and died days later from his wounds, unleashed a wave of outrage across the country that led to toughen penalties against aggressors and improve measures to protect women.
