Many of us are probably familiar with Google Maps, but in case you did not know, Google also owns Waze, another navigation app that more or less does the same thing. However, one of the main differences between both apps is that with Waze, it comes with crowd-sourced information, where users can report accidents, traffic jams, and even police checkpoints.Over the years, we’ve started to see Google introduce similar features to Google Maps, and in the latest update to the app, Google has announced that more incident reporting features are rolling out to Google Maps, one of which seems to have ticked off law enforcement as it basically allows users to report the location of police. This comes in the form of reporting speed traps.
In a letter written by the National Sheriffs’ Association, “NSA is supportive of the Google Waze App but is emphatically opposed to the police locator feature within the App. There is no moral, ethical or legal reason to have the police locator button on the app. Our concerns are for officer safety and community safety. Wazers can use this feature to avoid law enforcement or to find law enforcement to carry out possible acts of violence against that officer. We are concerned that terrorists, organized crime groups, and gangs will find this a valuable tool to further their illegal activities.”
Google has also responded to the somewhat controversial feature in a statement made to Business Insider, where a Google spokesperson defended the feature, saying that “informing drivers about upcoming speed traps allows them to be more careful and make safer decisions when they’re on the road.”
Filed in . Read more about Android, Apps, Google, Google Maps, iOS and Legal. Source: blog.google