Google's 'Waze' App Concerns Police With Location Features
OAKLAND COUNTY (WWJ) -- Law enforcement agencies across the country are asking Google to cut back on a very popular feature of the tech giant's Waze app.
The app allows users to point out the locations of speed traps. Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard told WWJ Newsradio 950's Russ McNamara that the concern from law enforcement is people with a grudge against police would use it to hunt down officers.
"There has been different discussions on some of these websites that have talked about assassinating or targeting police, to use these kinds of apps to see if they can locate police," Bouchard said.
Bouchard says on top of that, the app would just be another distraction for drivers.
"Our biggest concern -- obviously -- is to what extent someone is paying attention to that and not the road," Bouchard said. "It's supposed to be hands-free, but obviously alerts or messages and things come through on different apps you have to click or expand to take action with it, and that takes you eyes off the road."
Waze is ranked in the Top 200 in free apps in the Google Play store with almost three million reviews. It ranks in the top 100 in both the Apple App Store and the Windows Phone Store.