Bribery is pretty much a rampant, worldwide thing, and it happens in many facets of life. We can all do without it, for sure, but one way or another most of us have had to partake in it as the giver. Not correct, nor ethical, but sometimes it’s easier to take flight than fight, with a little help from some De La Rues.
Most cases go unreported, of course – it takes a significant effort to expose such activity, and the trouble one has to go to usually means the idea is a non-starter in the mind. Well, here’s a way where you can go about it, quietly and in a faceless manner.
It’s called Bribespot, an app currently available on the internet and to Android phone users (an iPhone version is on the cards) that gives users a chance to anonymously report bribes. It’s new, just about a month old, so there’s little on-ground data yet, but you can expect things to heat up as it goes on.
The application was developed by a team of people from Estonia, Finland, Lithuania and Iran, and was launched at the Garage48 startup competition in Tallinn, Estonia last month.
On a phone, the Bribespot app automatically gets your location and visualises bribes requested/paid around you. You can use Bribespot to report a bribe – just ensure the app has the right location, indicate the bribe size and choose the category. You can also add the story behind it using comment box. The report, the people behind the program say, is completely anonymous.
A ‘bribe stream’ is also available, so you can get more detailed information about bribes, view specific locations and the size of the bribe paid. In all, it probably won’t change things too much – bribes will continue to be given and taken, but at least now you can see where and when it happens. You can also imagine that a great deal many reports from hereabouts will be for traffic offences!
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Hahahaha. this is cool. wonder how many “red pin” around klang valley. hahahah
just ask the traffic police to tap on ur screen “anonymously” when ter receive money from u ! i think he also feeling quite Fun doing tat !
This is interesting. I wonder how many ‘hot spots’ there are in Malaysia? We can also benchmark ourselves against the rest of the world, how honest we are.
as of now…. none.
Aiyahhh…this app came a little too late.
If earlier, sure a lot of spots on NSE after Kapar and Bukit Merah rest area.
Now, most likely area will be at port area and construction sites.
PWTC will be lit up as bright as a xmas tree on xmas eve. :)
This is way better than those RM50m Tricubes 1Malaysia email. Go for it MACC. Now you don’t have to worry about death at the window because the only window in this app is just Microsoft Windows.
the integrity of this app should be put into question. how can it determined the whether the case reported is genuine? it can be misuse to report false case to gain some individual/organisation benefit.
let say i am from anti-establishment and i hate government, so this app will give me chances to create as much fake bribery cases as possible, just to give a bad reputation to government authority.
it’s a good concept, but chances it can be misuse is huge.
So, you can also sort of see if the policemen in this area are more likely to accept your “gratitude” ?
this is a good app!!!
Dear Hidayat, we are working hard to prevent abuse in this app.
For now we are implementing the limit on the number of bribes any given phone can check in during the day/at the same location.
We will also monitor bribe submissions to detect phones that exhibit abnormal activity and perhaps suspend reports from those.
The idea behind this app that it will be difficult to claim that reports are fake if they come from many different phones at many different times.
We are putting some finishing touches on the iPhone app at the moment so that should be available soon as well.
artas bartas
thanks for your explaination. another thing i would like to know is what is your view towards people that gives the bribe? so let say the app user encounter a local authority and he did wrong and to smooth things out he offer a few hundred, and the law enforcer accept it. and the next step he do is update what had happen to this app. isnt it obvious he is actually declaring that he actually just committed bribery?
another question, the report should be anonymous, but based on your explaination, it seems that the app could know how many times you lodge a report from your phone. it does mean that the report could be trace back to the user right?
Yup true… Should zoom in the “one” who like like to give too … Everyone keep forgetting this category of people and if i were the MACC should haul their bottom to court too..
I wander who will be in the category the most??
Artas.. Can do another app that allowed the enforcement officer to do the same thing??? To report who ask to bet let go for their offences instead of being penalized for their traffic offences?
It is more “fairer” this way…
after you bribe the police…
straightly update it in the apps…
i loike!!!! but what if somebody sabotaj it, make a false report?
Bribe Free Malaysian…BFM, 89.9 FM…:D :D
is bribespot being blocked by malaysian govt? cause i cant seem to open in in my browser… :/
so fast kena block??
If it works Malaysia will be filled with those dots in no time.