YANA - Chatbot for Youth Safety in Mechelen
In the city of Mechelen, youngsters can activate an extra digital layer of security when they go out. Together with the city, we developed YANA — a chatbot on Facebook Messenger that accompanies you through the city, automatically confirms your safe arrival to contacts, and alerts someone when you don't respond in time.
Chatbot YANA guides youngsters safely through Mechelen
YANA — You Are Never Alone — is a chatbot on Facebook Messenger that acts as a digital nightlife assistant. When going out, youngsters chat with YANA like they would with a friend.
How it works
You provide your departure location, destination, and means of transport. YANA calculates when you should arrive. Once there, it asks you to confirm — and sends a message to your contact person. If there's no response within the timeframe, your contact is automatically called via Proximus so they can reach out to you.
“It's super user-friendly and useful for when you feel unsafe, especially late at night.”
An extra layer of security for young people
Going home alone at night shouldn't feel like a risk. YANA provides a low-threshold digital safety net, no app download needed, just a Facebook Messenger conversation.
Designed for the target audience
The chatbot is tailored to youngsters with short answer options and quick replies. Testers confirmed it feels natural and accessible. Testers like Lisa pointed out that parents always ask you to let them know when you've arrived safely, and you often forget. YANA takes care of that automatically.
Reporting to the city
YANA also allows young people to report issues — violence, damage to public property, or feeling unsafe in a specific area. Reports go directly to the relevant city services, and in case of aggressive behaviour or violence, the police receive an immediate notification.
“There are already cities and municipalities with a chatbot, but nowhere is there such a focus on the feeling of safety of young people. By adding a comprehensive reporting function, we can also encourage young people to report more matters.”
Built with Microsoft technology and privacy-first
YANA was built using the Microsoft Bot Framework and integrates with Proximus for SMS and call functionalities. Privacy was a top priority throughout development.
Privacy by design
Young people are a vulnerable group, so extra care was taken. The chatbot runs on Microsoft technology for robust security. Users decide how much information to share — when reporting to the city, providing your name or contact info is entirely optional, and only specific city services can access report data.
Proximus integration
For the SMS and call functionality, we partnered with Proximus to enable automated notifications and phone calls to emergency contacts.
Slim in de Stad prize
YANA was realised thanks to winning the 'Slim in de Stad' (Smart in the City) prize. The chatbot was publicly launched in July 2021 after testing by ten young users. It's accessible via the Facebook page 'Yana van 2800leeft'.
