Bribe Tracker Bribes.fyi Shuts Down After Going Viral, Citing Misuse Concerns

The creators said the decision was voluntary and precautionary, and denied that it was linked to any complaint. The platform will eventually delete recorded data and permanently shut down its status page.

The website bribes.fyi, which allowed users to anonymously report bribes they were asked to pay, has announced an indefinite break. The platform operators described the shutdown as a voluntary and precautionary decision to avoid any misuse.

What Happened

The website went viral recently, though its exact date of creation remains unknown, as Hindustan Times reported. The creators confirmed they have no plans to enable submissions again.

• One of the reported bribes was for ₹2,000, which a user was allegedly asked to pay to the Police in Pune.

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• The developers explained that the platform required steady, sustainable operation to succeed.

Key Details

The website also announced that it would keep the status page live for a while longer and then shut it down permanently, along with the permanent deletion of any recorded data.

• "Was told to take 'tatkal' route, which costs 2500 to avoid multiple visits and unnecessary delays," the person wrote while submitting the report.

• The tracked departments included the Police, RTO, Revenue/Land Records, Passport Office, Municipal Corporation, GST Office, Electricity Board, Income Tax and Food and Drug Administration.

• It also allowed users to compare the number of reported bribes across different departments.

Why It Matters

Before announcing the break, the website aggregated the reported data into three sections, reports, departments and cities.

• Bribes.fyi was India's first crowdsourced bribe registry, designed to be completely anonymous and permanently public.

What Reports Say

Coverage of the story so far points to:

• Continued reporting by Outlook India as more details emerge