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'Google, Apple, and Uber Should Be Forced To Share Their Mapping Data' (technologyreview.com)

Posted by msmash on from the greater-good dept.

The UK government should encourage companies like Apple, Google, and Uber to publish more map data to help the development of technologies like driverless cars and drones, according to a new report by the Open Data Institute. From a report: This sort of data, which includes addresses and city boundaries, fuels tons of everyday services, from parcel and food deliveries to apps like Google Maps and Uber. Internet giants are sitting on top of vast amounts of geospatial data, but it is largely inaccessible to others. The ODI argues it should be as open as possible as a part of "national infrastructure." Analyzing map data can help communities and organizations make decisions across a vast range of sectors -- for example, how to improve access to a school or hospital.

3 of 109 comments (clear)

  1. Say what? by msauve · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Those companies expended resources to get that data.

    Perhaps they should be asking government, who built the majority of the roads, and created the plans and surveys, which should be better than anything which can be collected by simply driving around.

    --
    "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
  2. Re:What it is? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    LOL, that's like saying, "Please explain why forced labor is not good, and leave the "slavery bad" shit out of it.

    Not really. Slavery is inherently bad, so an explanation of "it is wrong because it is slavery and slavery is wrong" works. Government, on the other hand, is not inherently bad, so saying "it is wrong because the government is doing it" makes as much sense as Trump's "it is wrong because Obama did it" stance.

    And if you think government is inherently bad, I will gladly help fund you a one-way trip to Somalia. :)

  3. Re:What it is? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why the hell isn't the second option not good? PLease explain and leave the 'govarnmant baaaad'-shit out of it.

    LOL, that's like saying, "Please explain why forced labor is not good, and leave the "slavery bad" shit out of it. That's an unreasonable constraint, given that the government is the only entity capable of such coercion.

    Great example - it took a strong federal government to end slavery in the US, because the invisible hand of a free market sure as hell wasnt getting it done, or fixing company towns, or the railroads, or the banks. But this is different because on a computer.