“Waze represents person-to person information in the public square,” said Nuala O'Connor, head of the Center for Democracy and Technology, a Washington civil liberties group, who said she uses the software. Privacy advocates, however, said First Amendment protections will stand in the way. Sheriff Mike Brown of Bedford County, Virginia, said states might pass laws to prevent people from revealing the locations of parked police cruisers. Some Waze supporters lashed out at outspoken sheriffs on social media, pointing to the irony of police concerns about being watched amid sensational disclosures about police and government surveillance of citizens. Police objections to Waze add new complexity to the debate about technology and privacy. Waze users mark locations of police vehicles – which are generally stopped in public spaces – on maps without much distinction other than “visible” or “hidden.” Users driving nearby see a police icon, but it’s not immediately clear whether police are there for a speed trap, a sobriety check or a lunch break. “However, part of our police model includes a highly visible police presence to reduce crime,” Randol said. Heather Randol, a spokeswoman for the San Jose Police Department, said the department does not have much information about the software’s impact. Some police departments near San Francisco, where Google is headquartered, did not share the same concerns. Other major police trade groups had not yet formally joined the sheriffs’ campaign. Reach out if you have any questions or concepts youd like to discuss. How we can help Replica is at the cutting edge of AI voice technology and we want to explore with you new creative ways it can be used. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., who in 2011 raised issues with mobile apps that identified drunken driving checkpoints, is concerned about the Waze app police-reporting feature, according to his office. With 40+ voices and more being added weekly, our AI Voice Actor Library is growing at a rapid rate. The Los Angeles Police Department chief and the executive director of the Fraternal Order of Police have echoed the sheriffs’ concerns about police safety but have not said anything about it interfering with catching speeders.
8 on Apple’s ranking of the top free mobile apps. Waze actually gained popularity in the last week since The Associated Press first disclosed law enforcement’s concerns, climbing four positions to No.
“Most users tend to drive more carefully when they believe law enforcement is nearby,” Waze spokeswoman Julie Mossler said.