The app has become one of the most popular in New York and Los Angeles as it allows you to hire a bodyguard
A few weeks ago Google boasted about the 2.36 million malicious apps it had managed to remove from its Play Store. As the American company acknowledged, this work is the result of a major effort, as they dedicate a significant part of their resources to eliminating harmful applications from the smartphone market. However, the subject of today’s curiosity is not an app with malware, but a tool similar to Uber that allows you to hire bodyguards instead of transportation.
As TechSpot points out, the app is called Protector and allows you to hire armed agents immediately. Following the murder of Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthCare, this app was developed to demonstrate that its services could have prevented the tragedy. As a result, it is now available in both New York and Los Angeles, two US cities that authorise the use of weapons in self-defence. And, in it, users can choose options such as vehicle armouring or the type of uniform for their bodyguards, as the app prioritises the trust of its customers.
Hypothetical scenarios following Thompson’s assassination
As expected, the app gained notoriety thanks to social media and the use of different influencers, two concepts that translated into millions of views on platforms such as TikTok or X. On Protector, each bodyguard charges 200 euros per hour per guard and one vehicle, but the price can increase with additional security measures such as a caravan of cars. In this way, they have not only used Thompson’s murder to claim that their service could have prevented the attack, but also to present various scenarios in which a bodyguard prevents the situation from escalating.
For the moment, Protector is only available on Apple devices and has not yet confirmed its arrival on Android. Furthermore, beyond the virality and use of the murder of the CEO of UnitedHealthCare, US users have shown a lot of interest in the app and, as a result, it has become one of the most popular apps of the moment. Nick Sarath, founder and former designer of Meta, is also behind Patrol, an app that allows people to fund security for their neighborhoods with additional vehicles, guards, and drones.
