U.S. Senators Attack Driver Alerting Apps
It all started Monday.
That’s when USA Today ran a story about different smart phone apps that alert drivers about known speed traps, speed camera locations, red light camera intersections and other dangerous intersections.
This list includes Cobra’s iRadar, Trapster, Fuzz Alert and Phantom Alert.
Phantom Alert got special attention in the article due to the fact it kept a list of DUI checkpoints in its database so drivers could avoid those spots.
Someone on Capital Hill read the article Monday, because on Tuesday, a group of 4 U.S. Senators came out with a statement asking Apple, Google, and Research In Motion (RIM) aka BlackBerry, to pull any of these apps with data on DUI or DWI check points off their websites.
The four Senators, Harry Reid (D-NV), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Tom Udall (D-NM) wrote in a letter to Apple:
We write today with grave concern regarding the ease with which downloadable applications for the iPhone, iPad, and other Apple products allow customers to identify where local police officers have set up DUI checkpoints. With more than 10,000 Americans dying in drunk-driving crashes every year, providing access to iPhone and iPad applications that alert users to DUI checkpoints is harmful to public safety….
We appreciate the technology that has allowed millions of Americans to have information at their fingertips, but giving drunk drivers a free tool to evade checkpoints, putting innocent families and children at risk, is a matter of public concern. We hope that you will give our request to remove these applications from your store immediate consideration.
Similar letters went out to RIM and Google.
Late Wednesday, Research In Motion caved to the pressure applied by the Senators and agreed to pull any apps that carried DUI checkpoint data off their site. This seemingly included Phantom Alert and Trapster which are both not available on the BlackBerry App World website anymore.
Joe Scott from Phantom Alert confirmed the deletion from the Blackberry app site with Computerworld.
Both FuzzAlert and Cobra’s iRadar currently operate on iPhones only, and do not have BlackBerry versions of their application. Although iRadar is planning to debut an Android version of their award winning software in April.
While FuzzAlert and PhantomAlert both openly tout the DUI/DWI checkpoint databases, Trapster seems to quietly collect this checkpoint data.
Of the big four, only iRadar seems to avoid the DUI checkpoint debate by only concentrating on speed traps and RLC intersections–at least going by their website.
I find this horrendous on several levels.
First, politicians always have to get involved, right? For what purpose?
Second, companies always cave, and I can’t really blame them…the government with threaten them with something. Revoking their licenses or some other garbage.
Its disgusting the level of meddling the government does. And it keeps getting far far worse. They love technology when it can help them, and want to keep it out of the hands of the public they serve. I’m sure they enjoy the ability to track any one of us with a cell phone, but use it to track what the government does and that’s not proper? They have all the advantages and we have no way to counter??
Consider the class of elected officials this list is… Then of course look at what party they are from, why does that side of the fence always try to take away rights and legislate everything??
I just can’t bring myself to get angry about this. If they were targeting the other data (RLC and speed trap), it’d be one thing, but they’re specifically targeting the DUI checkpoints.
I never drive after drinking, and would LOVE an app that tells me where DUI checkpoints are. I’ve seen them checking the opposite direction of roads I’ve been driving on, and the backup can get ridiculous. When I’m driving home with my wife and fussy baby, I would prefer to avoid such delays and get my baby to bed.
Right on Dave!
Notice all four Senators are Democrats and zero Republicans.
Essentially, this is a free speech issue.
As a total non drinker, I have NO tolerance for driving while intoxicated. But at the same time, it should be entirely legal to publish information even if it somewhat controversial.
I think regardless of an app on D.U.I checkpoints, drunks are not going to be able to function their phones and the outcome is always going to be the same with the app or without. In a ditch, flipped over.
This smacks of abuse of our First Amendment Rights to Free Speech In my humble opinion. This action may start with DUI check points, but would expand to speed and red light camera data because of all the money and revenue streams involved.
And let’s not forget the political thugs and special interests involved!
I don’t see why they couldn’t just remove the data from the app in the stores, which are controlled by Apple, RIM or Google, etc. Then just allow the user to add whatever data they want.
Pull them Apple. I’m honestly surprised they were allowed in the first place…
“Im in agreement with this.
Remove them from the App Store.
It might be illegal etc.. but we must draw the line somewhere. “