Hundreds of testimonies have recently been appearing on social networks denouncing cases of GHB intoxication and sexual assaults in bars and nightclubs all over Europe. In the UK, a start-up has created a new app to help stop this disturbing phenomenon.
The Where You At start-up has designed an app with the ambition of helping women feel safer when they go out to a nightclub. It allows clubbers to stay in touch with their friends at any time during their night out, even if they have no network inside a bar or a nightclub.
The app relies on accurate "micro-location" and Bluetooth mesh networking to allow any user to share their exact location in often dark and crowded spaces. An offline messaging service and SOS functionality are also built into the app to provide an added layer of security for night owls. According to trade publication MusicAlly, this information could be shared with the police if a woman is sexually assaulted or drugged without her knowledge.
A long-ignored phenomenon
Unfortunately, this happens much more often than we imagine. Since the launch of the #balancetonbar (expose your bar) movement in Belgium in mid-October, stories about cases of GHB intoxication and sexual violence in the nightlife world have multiplied on the internet. All describe the same scenario: a night out with friends, a few drinks, unusual physical symptoms and then, the black hole.
The Where You At start-up has partnered with the Night Time Industry Association to see how widespread this phenomenon is in the UK. They surveyed 1500 British students, mostly women, to find out how they feel about the nightlife scene. It turns out that 92% of the respondents have already felt unsafe in a bar or a nightclub, and 44% have found themselves in a situation where they needed help.
The application developed by Where You At is currently being tested in several nightclubs across the UK. It is expected to be launched in a few months, when covid-19 health restrictions are eased in bars and nightclubs.
