Associated Press:
A law enforcement campaign to compel Google Inc. to disable a feature in its popular Waze traffic app that lets drivers warn others about nearby police activity shifted Wednesday when a sheriffs’ organization openly complained that the app not only puts officers’ lives at risk, it also interferes with the ability to write speeding tickets.
So it’s OK for government officials and corporations to track us but not OK for us to track them?
Remember, “animals are all equal, but some are more equal than others” – at least that seems to be the opinion of (some in) law enforcement…
In other words, the cops are more interested in writing tickets than in reducing speeding. If they were paying attention, they might just use Waze themselves to cut down on speeding.
Ah, the high tech version of “I pulled you over for flashing your lights to warn people I was there.”
Interesting or dubious timing on this story, if you’re mildly conspiracy minded like I am. Recently (starting this past Monday 1/26) I’ve noticed a huge increase in false police alert alarms on my 1hr+ commute to and from the office daily. One or two per day was the norm over the past year. This week, there’s been dozens every day, all false alarms. Almost as if someone/some organization (state police?) are purposely adding false alarms under anonymous usernames to discredit the service, or create a “boy who cried wolf” scenario whereby a driver will ignore the reports assuming it’s false, when in fact an officer is hidden and waiting in a hidden spot.
Police don’t like the idea of civilian oversight.