Google's Waze does a lot of things, including giving app uses real-time gas prices. However, most people have it on their mobile devices because it's a great way to find speeding cameras and avoid getting a ticket.
After seeing their income levels going down, police forces from across the world tried to have the app banned. But there is one huge problem with that – our freedom to share information. However, the US police has found a back door that could break the legal deadlock. According to them, telling people where police cars are can help would-be "cop killers".
Of course, in theory, they are right. But the app is no more dangerous than telling a friend via phone or making a public Facebook post saying "the radar guys are back at the intersection between X and Y. Drive slowly guys!"
The Guardian says US marshals are accusing Waze of aiding cop stalking and even being a potential help to cop killers. They even have a Tweet where New York gunman Ismaaiyl Brinsley, who killed two officers, shares a Waze screenshot.
This is definitely a gray area, just like the case of the woman who was raped by an Uber driver in India, where everybody has part of the truth on his side. It's not illegal to tell somebody where speed traps are, but if somebody kills a policeman you've spotted, that's almost like being an accomplice to a murder.
Of course, the people behind Googles's Waze app know the vast majority of its users want this feature and will move to another app if its removed. So they are cooperating with the all law enforcers whenever somebody actually uses this online medium to commit a crime.
What would we do? Raise the speed limits. Killers are killers, they will always find a way to commit horrors, app or no app.
Of course, in theory, they are right. But the app is no more dangerous than telling a friend via phone or making a public Facebook post saying "the radar guys are back at the intersection between X and Y. Drive slowly guys!"
The Guardian says US marshals are accusing Waze of aiding cop stalking and even being a potential help to cop killers. They even have a Tweet where New York gunman Ismaaiyl Brinsley, who killed two officers, shares a Waze screenshot.
This is definitely a gray area, just like the case of the woman who was raped by an Uber driver in India, where everybody has part of the truth on his side. It's not illegal to tell somebody where speed traps are, but if somebody kills a policeman you've spotted, that's almost like being an accomplice to a murder.
Of course, the people behind Googles's Waze app know the vast majority of its users want this feature and will move to another app if its removed. So they are cooperating with the all law enforcers whenever somebody actually uses this online medium to commit a crime.
What would we do? Raise the speed limits. Killers are killers, they will always find a way to commit horrors, app or no app.