Photo: Softpedia
One of the top features of the Google-owned Waze app was sending traffic reports that could be anything from potholes or cars stopped on the road to police speed traps.
While police reports have been quite a controversial topic throughout the years, they were the main reason some people used the app, as such a warning received in advance helped some avoid a speed ticket.
But as it turns out, the option to send police reports has gone missing in some countries on mobile, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay. And the reason for this is as simple as it could be.
A lot of countries are already in lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak, which means people aren’t allowed to go outside unless they specifically need to (such as for shopping or medical checks).
As a result, the law enforcement has set up routine traffic stops and checkpoints to make sure those behind the wheel have a good reason for leaving their homes.
Apps like Waze helped drivers determine the location of police officers in advance, thus helping them avoid the checkpoints and go outside as if nothing happened. It goes without saying this doesn’t help anyone, especially as the world struggles to deal with the pandemic, so Waze removed the option to send police reports temporarily.
While this decision is most likely just a temporary one, Waze is yet to confirm whether the government requested the change or it’s all something that the Google-owned company thought it would help in the fight against the coronavirus.
A list of the countries where the option to send police reports has been removed isn’t yet available. However, since Waze has already pulled this feature in one or more countries, there’s a good chance it can expand it to more regions if needed.
We reached out to Google and Waze for more information and will update the article accordingly.
But as it turns out, the option to send police reports has gone missing in some countries on mobile, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay. And the reason for this is as simple as it could be.
A lot of countries are already in lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak, which means people aren’t allowed to go outside unless they specifically need to (such as for shopping or medical checks).
As a result, the law enforcement has set up routine traffic stops and checkpoints to make sure those behind the wheel have a good reason for leaving their homes.
Apps like Waze helped drivers determine the location of police officers in advance, thus helping them avoid the checkpoints and go outside as if nothing happened. It goes without saying this doesn’t help anyone, especially as the world struggles to deal with the pandemic, so Waze removed the option to send police reports temporarily.
While this decision is most likely just a temporary one, Waze is yet to confirm whether the government requested the change or it’s all something that the Google-owned company thought it would help in the fight against the coronavirus.
A list of the countries where the option to send police reports has been removed isn’t yet available. However, since Waze has already pulled this feature in one or more countries, there’s a good chance it can expand it to more regions if needed.
We reached out to Google and Waze for more information and will update the article accordingly.
Google News