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Traffic App Waze To Alert L.A. Drivers of Kidnappings and Hit-and-Runs

Posted by timothy on from the target-audience-is-rubberneckers dept.

An anonymous reader writes: Traffic-alert app Waze has announced a partnership with Los Angeles to share information on hit-and-runs and kidnappings taking place across the city, alongside traffic data and road closure updates. The deal forms part of a data-sharing agreement between L.A. authorities and the Google-owned tech startup detailed yesterday by the city's mayor Eric Garcetti. He assured that the data provided to the city by Waze would be "aggregated" and completely anonymous. According to the councillor the collaboration was mutually confirmed on Monday following a "very good meeting" between Waze and LAPD chief officer Charlie Beck. This move signals a considerable turn of events after Beck argued at the end of last year that the traffic alert app posed a danger to police due to its ability to track their location. The complaint followed the shooting of two police officers in New York after the shooter used the app to track his targets.

17 of 86 comments (clear)

  1. Aggregated intelligence by __aabppq7737 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    He assured that the data provided to the city by Waze would be "aggregated" and completely anonymous

    It'd be way too easy to combine this "aggregated" intelligence with what "smart" traffic sensors already know to de-anonymize pretty much every piece of data.

    1. Re:Aggregated intelligence by geekmux · · Score: 4, Informative

      He assured that the data provided to the city by Waze would be "aggregated" and completely anonymous

      It'd be way too easy to combine this "aggregated" intelligence with what "smart" traffic sensors already know to de-anonymize pretty much every piece of data.

      Sorry, but with ALL of the ties to an individual (billing, address, Google, Apple, etc.) that your personal cell phone has (also known as the exclusive device Waze runs on), you're not going to convince me for one second that any data streaming from my cell phone is "anonymous".

      No fucking way.

      If more people realized this, we would call out these "aggregated" and "metadata" justifications for what they are; complete and total bullshit.

    2. Re:Aggregated intelligence by dave562 · · Score: 2

      We see them on electronic billboards over the freeways. I received one on my phone once upon a time, but it came with the option to unsubscribe from future alerts and I did that.

      I am not sure how big of a problem child abductions really are. My sense is that nine times out of ten they are just custody disputes. Mom / Dad gets upset with their spouse and takes the kid out to run errands / go to the bar. Spouse freaks out and calls the cops. Cops over react and issue Amber Alert.

  2. Re:But ... by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 3, Informative

    Someone seems to have forgotten you can legally use your cell phone as a GPS.

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    "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

  3. Because we don't crash enough cars... by damn_registrars · · Score: 3

    This app, giving people real time updates on their smart phones, is probably not the best thing we could have for public safety. More than a few knuckleheads would likely think they were doing the right thing by putting it on their phone, until they try to read it while driving and end up causing an accident by way of their distracted driving.

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    Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
    1. Re:Because we don't crash enough cars... by BradleyUffner · · Score: 2

      This app, giving people real time updates on their smart phones, is probably not the best thing we could have for public safety. More than a few knuckleheads would likely think they were doing the right thing by putting it on their phone, until they try to read it while driving and end up causing an accident by way of their distracted driving.

      Good thing smart phones have speakers. Waze already make use of audio for turn alerts, they can do they same for Amber alerts.

    2. Re:Because we don't crash enough cars... by C0R1D4N · · Score: 2, Informative

      The numbers of fatal accidents has been decreasing the past thirty years. Cell phones have had no noticeable statistical effect.

    3. Re:Because we don't crash enough cars... by damn_registrars · · Score: 4, Interesting

      The numbers of fatal accidents has been decreasing the past thirty years

      I understand that to have more to do with cars being safer than anything else. Anti lock brakes and air bags are now standard in the overwhelming majority of cars on American roads today, amongst other things.

      Cell phones have had no noticeable statistical effect

      If we're talking over the same period of time (30 years as you said earlier) it is impossible for them not to. There were quite nearly zero cell phones in 1985. We now regularly have serious - and sometimes fatal - accidents caused by idiots who believe they can safely read and write text messages on their phones while driving. It appears you are looking at the general downward trend of fatal accidents per capita, and then saying that nothing could possibly have a negative impact on that. That simply doesn't work.

      --
      Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
  4. Re:anonymous kidnapping? by Noah+Haders · · Score: 2

    The amber alert notices have license plates and car descriptions. is that what they mean by kidnapping alert? what would be the use of anonymized criminal activity alerts? "keep an eye out for a vehicle in the vicinity of downtown LA!".

  5. Escape from LA by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 4, Interesting

    >> kidnappings

    If you live in a city where "kidnappings" is just considered another statistics...it might be time to move.

  6. i Love L.A. by turkeydance · · Score: 2

    this will be in constant alert status. sorta like a car alarm that no one pays attention to.

  7. Amber Alert anyone? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Is this going to become an extension of the Amber alert system, which I believe research has shown is rarely of use in actual kidnappings and is used mostly in non-violent child custody arguments & runaways? I don't know if they've had a single case where the system has been proven to have saved a child's life.

  8. The first time it is used, many will disable it. by whoever57 · · Score: 2

    Just like the ability for phones to recieve network-wide notifications, when this capability was used in California, many people turned it off, because the notification was broadcast far too wide -- across all of California for something taking place in San Diego.

    I predict the same for this. The capability will be misused and then disabled by the users of the app.

    --
    The real "Libtards" are the Libertarians!
  9. L.A. and Waze by technical_maven · · Score: 2

    If the data is as good as it is for accidents, it will be all but worthless... We use Waze in Los Angeles and it will frequently just show "accident" with no indication of exactly where it is, what side of the freeway, and what kind of accident... And more often than not, when you actually get in the area, the data is stale and the accident is long gone but still showing...

  10. hysteria on the go by paul+mafinga · · Score: 2

    Most kidnappings are parental custody disputes, and the California system is biased, the legal backwash of the "deadbeat dad" movement.

  11. Re:anonymous kidnapping? by squiggleslash · · Score: 2

    I suspect actually they aren't. I'd imagine most activities described by law enforcement as "kidnappings" are probably the usual "Divorced parents violating custody rulings" type things.

    It's hard to think "Adults taking adult prisoners who they hold for ransom" type kidnappings occur that frequently in a place like LA.

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    You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
  12. Re:Waze in LA is dangerous by dave562 · · Score: 2

    They also seem to have implemented what I am calling the "Dick Move" algorithm. The dick move is using the exit lane to pass people.

    For example, I was traveling north on the 405 to Santa Monica. When I got to LAX, they told me to take Century Boulevard off ramp.... and then merge back onto the 405. It was a great move and let me bypass about a mile of bumper to bumper traffic. At the same time, I think most people agree that doing that is a dick move.