1 articles · Updated · South China Morning Post · May 27
Sileme, a Chinese app once criticized for its blunt 'Are you dead?' name, has been repurposed as a government-backed personal safety tool.
The app works through a single daily check-in button; if a user misses 2 straight days, it automatically alerts an emergency contact.
Developer fear of walking home alone at night helped inspire the service, which is now being pitched as a potential safeguard for elderly people and others living alone.
Priced at 8 yuan, the app went viral in January as younger users embraced its darkly direct concept despite complaints that the paid service offered too little.
How did a morbid viral app become a government-endorsed tool with a $14 million valuation almost overnight?
With Chinese state backing, what are the privacy risks for the millions of global users on the Demumu app?