Uber for Superheroes

Our review of the Vigilante iPhone app: No

One app's reckless idea to eliminate “crime as we know it”
Uber for Superheroes

Our review of the Vigilante iPhone app: No

One app's reckless idea to eliminate “crime as we know it”

The Vigilante iPhone app wants users to respond to crimes before the cops do. The app is being billed as a disruptive way to improve public safety by creating a map of crimes in progress and encouraging users to rush to the scene and record live footage of what’s happening.

But it has a few problems. Everything.

“When you think about building an app, you think about the Facebook mantra of ‘Move fast and break things,’” Morgan Hargrave, a fellow at the Ford Foundation, said. “Well, in the context of a 911 distress call, moving fast and breaking things is potentially very dangerous for you as a responder and for those in the middle of the event.”

Here's a video rundown of all the things that are wrong with the app that wants to eliminate “crime as we know it.”

Vigilante was removed from the app store days after it was released, but a spokesperson for the company says they are working with Apple to resolve the issue.