DeviceGuru

My Mobile Witness Inc. has unveiled a free service that lets you use your cellphone to protect yourself from danger. When faced with a potential threat, you snap a photo of the person, place, or situation of concern, send it via MMS or SMS to the company’s “digital vault,” and — if necessary — reveal the existence of the archived evidence.

The archived photo and message act as a powerful deterrent, according to the company. For example, after taking the precaution of snapping and sending a photo to the company’s digital vault, a user might say:

“I have already sent your image (my location, your license plate, etc.) to My Mobile Witness. If I am harmed in any way, evidence has already been posted and is accessible to law enforcement. If nothing happens to me nothing happens to the picture.”

Photos and text messages will only be made available to a law enforcement agency once an investigation has been opened, the company promises. Even users of the service are not given access to the data they send to the digital vault, ensuring that “no one can make you show or alter the pictures or messages,” adds the company. The data will erased after six months.

The company notes that its service differs from calling 911 in that “the photo taken is non-invasive to the subject and non-engaging of law enforcement unless an incident actually occurs.”

DeviceGuru wondered how someone in a dicey situation could manage to send a photo and message on their mobile device quickly and secretively enough for the system to work. For the service to be practical, wouldn’t the mobile phone need a custom application that automates the process?

“While most phones require multiple steps to take and send an MMS it is possible with certain smart phones and using a technology partner we have met with to take and send a picture with one touch of a button,” replied Marcus Anthony, founder of My Mobile Witness, in an email.

“We plan to introduce this functionality along with geo tagging and live streaming video capabilities in the future,” Anthony continued. “We chose to keep the service simple at the start so we could make it available to all without requiring specific handsets or OS. When we introduce the one touch functionality and the streaming video, users of these features will be required to have a phone with the Symbian or Microsoft operating systems.”

At this point, the company is offering the basic My Mobile Witness service free of charge.

“The financial model has multiple avenues of opportunity,” explained Anthony. “The basic service we offer today is and will remain free. We believe we can attract socially responsible companies to help with sponsorship on our website. In addition the streaming video and possibly the one touch capability will be features we charge for. Probably a small one time on the one touch and a monthly charge for the video based on storage needs.”

To learn more about My Mobile Witness, visit the company’s website.