The popular traffic app Waze gathers user - submitted feedback to brisk driver to potential inconveniences they might experience on the road — inconveniences like getting stuck at DWI traffic item . Now , the NYPD reportedly has a message for Waze and its parent caller Google : canary get stitch .
CBS New Yorkobtained a cease and desist letter that it claims was sent by the NYPD to Google in the jurisprudence enforcement agency insists the Waze app is creating a dangerous situation by alert user of nearby checkpoints . According to the reputation , the letter of the alphabet states :
somebody who post the locations of DWI checkpoints may be engaging in criminal conduct since such action at law could be designed attempts to prevent and/or spoil the administration of the DWI laws and other relevant condemnable and dealings police force .
The card of such information for public use of goods and services is irresponsible since it only suffice to aid mar and intoxicate drivers to elude checkpoints and encourage heedless driving . reveal the location of checkpoint set those driver , their passengers , and the general public at risk .
Curiously , a linkto the full letter on the CBS website is now break . An NYPD spokesperson told Gizmodo in an electronic mail , “ I can confirm the NYPD station the letter . ” When ask for input , a Google representative told us , “ safe is a top anteriority when developing seafaring features at Google . We believe that informing drivers about upcoming speed traps allow them to be more deliberate and make safer decision when they ’re on the road . ”
While driving under the influence is exclusively indefensible , it ’s hard to imagine how the NYPD could legally enforce this demand . This would in all probability be a aboveboard freedom of speech case unless Google was line up to be by design encouraging users to help each other get aside with breaking the law of nature . As it is , Google can easily claim its app is just helping jurisprudence - abiding user avoid an unnecessary delay in their commute .
We ’ve alsoseen reportsthat Google is testing out some limited dealings stop reporting features in Google Maps , so it will be interesting to see how the company answer to the NYPD ’s scary - sounding letter . It ’ll be even more interesting to see if they NYPD tries to defend its describe demands in court .
Update : This post has been updated to admit a statement from Google .
[ CBS Newsvia9to5Google ]
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