"Wow is this a real thing?" — Netizens react to app letting users hire armed bodyguard going viral on Apple Store after UHC CEO's assassination

Protector, an app that allows people to hire an armed bodyguard, has gone viral on the Apple Store following the death of UHC CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the app allows users to book personal armed security along with vehicles like Escalades.

For the unversed, Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was assassinated outside a hotel in Midtown Manhattan in the early hours of December 4, 2024. Luigi Mangione was arrested in connection with the killing days after the murder.

According to The Sun, Protector is now the third highest-ranking free app on the Apple Store following its release on February 19, 2025. The app's popularity has received mixed reactions on social media, with some questioning its validity.

"Wow is this a real thing?" one person questioned.

Several netizens expressed their interest in signing up for the app. Here are some of their reactions:

"This is wonderful. I would actually use it," one person tweeted.

"If I visit NYC, I'm 100% hiring a few to ride the subway with me. They should make it a special and call it the Daniel Penny Protection Plan!" another person exclaimed.

"I would book this to take me to work every day. I will need a big fancy briefcase and a new suit," someone else commented.

"As a single father of 2 teenage daughters, one at home and the other away at college, I LIKE this concept! There have been a couple times I would have gladly paid a bodyguard to accompany my daughter to events that made me concerned and uneasy," another user wrote.

However, others were not as enthused, using this as an opportunity to criticize a society that needed a bodyguard to protect its citizens.

"Kudos for the people who developed this app. Anything that feeds into the narcissism of today culture is going to make bank. Our society is cooked," one person posted.

"Having to hire security is just a symptom of a broken society. This isn’t luxury; it’s an indictment on how weak and unprotected we've become," another person added.

"That is so sad that people have to hire security," someone else commented.

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Protector reenacted how the UHC CEO's murder could have been prevented with its bodyguard service

On January 6, 2025, Protector, founded by former Meta designer Nick Sarath, released a promotional video demonstrating how the death of UHC CEO Brian Thompson could have been prevented by its bodyguards. The video presented several scenarios that the bodyguards could have used to diffuse the situation, with the caption reading:

"What if tragedy didn’t have to strike? We revisit the murder of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO and examine how a Protector may have changed the outcome."

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the app, whose Apple Store profile states that users can "schedule veteran and former law enforcement private security personnel to serve as personal protection when needed," is currently available in Los Angeles and New York City.

The hired bodyguard is typically an active-duty or retired law enforcement officer. The fee for one bodyguard and one car in LA is reportedly $1,000 for a five-hour duration, which is the minimum time a user can book. Users can also select the uniform their bodyguards should wear, including tactical casual, business casual, and business formal.

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In other news, Luigi Mangione, the suspect arrested for the murder of UHC CEO Brian Thompson, recently released his first public statement following his arrest in December 2024. On a website established by his legal team, Mangione said he was "overwhelmed" and "grateful" for the support he received after his arrest, thanking those who took the time to write him letters.

Mangione, who pleaded not guilty to the murder and terrorism charges in New York, is currently held at the Metropolitan Detention Center, which also houses Diddy, who was arrested on s*x trafficking and prostitution charges in September 2024.