Analysis of how CyberSave came about...
What inspired me to take action
As i scrolled through the Reddit chats, i find people mis-taking a poor child's traumatic vent into a viral online mockery. I scroll through Instagram, i see people creating fake accounts of influencers to expose and impersonate their personal lives. Even on TikTok, i witness high schoolers mocking other kids' clothing & school lunches. And the worst part about this whole situation isn't how people just laugh it off, and make a bigger joke of it, its how they can sit there, and not do anything of the situation. leaving victims of these cases in injustice & unresolved.
What my app does
When someone is cyberbullied, they often delete the messages out of fear or shame, which destroys the evidence they’d need later. They may not know who to tell, how to report on each platform, or whether anyone will believe them. Many reports fail because the proof is missing, scattered across screenshots, or undated. CyberSave solves those problems of cyberbullying cases by providing a safe space for victims report their perpetrators, and their case to be professional investigated & resolved. It works by connecting legal, professionally authorized hackers, cybersecurity analysists & digital forensic scientists to help identify, track & safely resolve the cases reported by helpless victims. Additional features my app offers include educational resources for victims to be literate from, a well-picked line of therapists to offer emotional support, as well as a community chat for people to discuss their cases and make new friends.
How we built it
I started with market research: I studied how organizations and regulators such as Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, the UK Safer Internet Centre, Take It Down, and Childline South Africa handle online harm, and I looked for gaps. That led me to the problem of lost evidence and the lack of a private, easy first step.
The idea, the features, the user flow, and the structure of the app are my own. I sent detailed prompts and built the app structure in Google AI Studio, then edited on the design, code, and flow myself.
On the backend, I did the following :
-Storage of reports and evidence files, with metadata removed from uploads -Case status field and the evidence timeline -PDF export of the evidence report -Input & data validation
I connected the the APIs and services, and tested the whole flow myself. I also had a couple of my friends try CyberSave and asked them whether they felt safe, whether the steps were clear, and what confused them. Their feedback led me to change how the app should interact with the users & better reassure them.
Challenges we ran into
Some challenges I faced while building this app were: -Collecting enough detail while protecting privacy: Helping with a case needed information like platforms, dates, and screenshots, but every extra detail is more private data to protect. I made every field optional, avoided names and contact details, and designed the app so users choose how much to share. -Fair and ethical handling of cases: People handling cases must treat everyone without discrimination, act justly, and follow clear rules. I designed safeguards around this: vetting, role-based access, audit logs, and clear case guidelines. -Balancing support and safety: Some reports involve threats or self-harm, so the app has to route people to urgent help quickly without overwhelming them.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
Accomplishments & milestones that I realized and reached were: -Turning a big social problem into a working product. I started with the question of what affects the most young people and has no good digital solution, chose cyberbullying, and took it from idea to a working app. -Designing the app around privacy from the very beginning. Reporting needs no account, no name, and no tracking. I made a deliberate choice to collect only what’s useful, and to make every detail optional. Solving the “lost evidence” problem. Many people delete hurtful messages out of fear before they can use them. CyberSave lets them save proof first, with a dated timeline and an exportable report, and decide what to do later. -Protecting children’s independence and safety. I designed separate parent and child access so a parent can report on their own but can’t see or block a child’s report unless the child chooses to share it. I made this decision after thinking through the risks for young people who can’t tell their family. Refusing to build a “find the bully” feature. I considered letting experts identify perpetrators, then redesigned it so the app records, supports, and refers cases through proper channels. Misidentification and legal risks were too serious. -Researching how real organizations work. I studied how regulators and charities in different countries handle online harm and used that to shape my roadmap, including the need for approved partners. -Creating a calm, assuring UI/UX. I built a design that avoids the generic “AI-built” look.
What we learned
Biggest lessons i learnt here were: -Working with minors is high-risk. It needs proper safeguarding, privacy protection, and partnership with approved organizations, not a solo effort. -The best-performing services in this area get content removed through legal authority or platform relationships, which a new app has to earn through partnerships. -Good design matters as much as features: tone, wording, and calm visuals affect whether someone feels safe enough to ask for help. -Learning professional-level lessons. I learnt about the laws around cyberbullying, why minors’ cases need approved partnerships, and why safeguarding and privacy have to be designed in, not added later.
What's next for Cyber Fighter
Future plans for CyberSave are potentially partnering with approved organizations such as helplines and child-protection groups, so cases can be referred to people who can act. I could expand the target market to adults and young adults, not just minors. Employ trained responders who are experts with investigating online cases, responding with clear ethic guidelines, and audit logs & results well. Having the community space filled with more articles, and moderated by people / a chat box to answer any questions.
Built With
- css
- javascript
- json
- react
- tailwind
- typescript
