A new app has entered the market, allowing riders to book rides with former military or law enforcement professionals who are armed and prepared to ensure their safety.
The rideshare app Protector is now available on the iOS and Mac App Store, allowing users to book security details while on the go. Former Meta product manager Nikita Bier, creator of the social networking app Gas, revealed that he has served as an adviser to Protector and took to X, where he described the app as “Uber with guns.”
“Over the last few months, I’ve been advising Protectors: a new app for ordering an on-demand security detail,” Bier tweeted
. “Or more simply: Uber with guns.”Currently available only in LA and NYC, the newly launched app allows users to choose the number of “protectors” they want in their ride, KTLA reports. Riders can also select from four dress code options: Business Formal, which is a traditional suit; Business Casual, which is a lighter suit without a tie; Tactical Casual, where the driver sports a polo shirt with tactical pants and shoes; or Operator, where the armed professional dons full SWAT-style attire.
Users can also select as many as three vehicles to drive in motorcade format like a government official or celebrity. The service comes at a high price, with a single Cadillac Escalade ride featuring one ‘protector’ costing $1,000 for a pickup at KTLA’s Hollywood newsroom at 6 p.m. on Saturday, according to the app.
This fee covers a minimum of five hours of protection, the shortest duration available for booking. There is also an annual member fee of $129.
The app posted a promotional video in January that showed the assassination of the UnitedHealthcare CEO to demonstrate the value of the Protector service.
“Now, we are going to run through a scenario where if a Protector had been present, crisis could have been averted,” the video’s voiceover says.
Since its announcement, Protector has become the 14th most popular app
in the Travel category, positioned behind the Frontier Airlines app but ahead of the Spirit Airlines app.RELATED CONTENT: To Make More Money, Uber And Lyft Drivers Are Creating Their Own Apps And Co-Ops