Bribes.fyi shuts down: Who is 20-year-old Delhi techie Aryan Nishad behind viral anti-bribery platform?

Bribes.fyi, the platform that allowed citizens to anonymously report alleged bribe demands, has announced that it will shut down permanently. The website's team said it was taking an indefinite break and had decided to sunset the platform as a precautionary measure to prevent its misuse.

The shutdown comes after the platform attracted widespread attention online, with its database allowing users to document alleged bribery demands across government departments and states. The team said the decision was voluntary and was not a response to any specific complaint. It also said recorded data would eventually be permanently deleted.

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Who is Aryan Nishad?

At the centre of Bribes.fyi is Aryan Nishad, a 20-year-old Delhi-based BTech student and software developer. Nishad developed the platform with the aim of using technology to document citizens' experiences of alleged corruption during interactions with government departments.

Instead of functioning solely as a conventional complaint portal, Bribes.fyi attempted to create a searchable public database where users could report alleged demands and identify broader patterns.

How did bribes.fyi work?

The platform allowed citizens to submit reports without publicly revealing their identities. Users could enter details including the alleged bribe amount, location, government department, service involved and whether the demand was accepted or refused. These submissions were compiled into a public registry. Its dashboard displayed state-wise figures, including the number of reports, average reported bribe amounts and refusal rates.

Bribes.fyi also provided a mechanism through which users could turn their reports into formal complaints for submission to relevant anti-corruption authorities.

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Karnataka had highest number of reports

According to the database shown in a viral screenshot, Karnataka recorded the highest number of reports at 90, followed by Maharashtra with 55 and Uttar Pradesh with 45.

Delhi ranked fourth with 32 reports. West Bengal recorded 26, followed by Tamil Nadu with 24, Telangana with 23, Haryana with 20, Andhra Pradesh with 17 and Bihar with 13.

The reported average alleged bribe amounts also varied significantly. Maharashtra showed an average of ₹14,802, while Uttar Pradesh recorded ₹14,747 and Karnataka ₹8,449. Bihar had the lowest average among the 10 states shown, at ₹1,623.

However, these figures were based on crowdsourced allegations and should not be treated as official corruption statistics or verified evidence against government officials.

Why is Bribes.fyi shutting down?

In its latest update, the Bribes.fyi team said it would take an indefinite break with no plans to enable submissions again. It described the move as a voluntary decision to sunset the website and a precautionary step to prevent misuse of the platform. The team said the status page would remain online for some time before the website is shut down permanently. It also plans to permanently delete the recorded data.

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The team stressed that Bribes.fyi was created to help people and that such a project required steady and sustainable operations rather than a viral moment. It also requested people not to circulate the team's names and images simply for fame or views. The shutdown marks the end of an unusual experiment in citizen-led reporting, but the attention generated by Bribes.fyi has highlighted how technology can potentially make everyday allegations of corruption more visible and easier to document.