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Last week, iOS users got the ability to report crashes, traffic slowdowns and speed traps across the country, a crowd-sourcing tool that a much smaller number of Android users have had since last year.
Police argue that the global update, which competes with Google-owned Waze, could keep or put more drunk or drugged drivers on the road.
“Revealing the location of checkpoints puts those drivers, their passengers, and the general public at risk,” the New York Police Department wrote in a letter to Google in February.
The National Sheriffs’ Association expressed graver concerns, saying the app risks the safety of officers by telling lawbreakers -- or even terrorists – where they are at given times.
“There is no moral, ethical or legal reason to have the police locator button on the app,” the NSA said.
Where the dispute will go remains anyone’s guess.
Police have been known to ticket those who flash their high beams to warn of speed traps. Several years ago, an Ohio man reportedly had charges against him dropped for holding up a sign that warned: “Check point ahead! Turn now!"
At the same time, there are no known cases of authorities pursuing those citizens who report checkpoint locations on Twitter, Nextdoor or other social media channels.
Unlike Amazon and Facebook, among others, Google hasn’t invoked a free speech defense over the update, which is becoming available to Googlemaps’ reported 177 million-plus monthly active smartphone users (version 5.29 or later on iOS, 10.27.3 or later on Android).
Rather, the company says that informing drivers about speed traps “allows them to be more careful and make safer decisions when they’re on the road.”
Google said the app also lets users alert fellow drivers to branches, tree limbs or other debris in the roadway, as well as to disabled vehicles and lane closures.
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