In late March four United States Senators voiced outrage over iPhone and Android apps that alerted users to local DUI stops being conducted by the police. It bothered them so much that the four got together and penned strongly worded letters to the CEO's of both Apple and Google asking them to ban these apps from their respective marketplaces.
Three months later and one company has complied with the wishes of Senators Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), and Tom Udall (D-N.M.). According to revised app developer guidelines uncovered by Mac Rumors, section 22.8 offers an addendum:
"Apps which contain DUI checkpoints that are not published by law enforcement agencies, or encourage and enable drunk driving, will be rejected."
Now the first point that anyone with even two working brain cells should take issue with is the line about app developers "encouraging drunk driving." To suggest such a thing is pretty insane. The second issue is what data these apps provide. Sure, some of it comes from crowd sourcing (users sharing info with other users), but the checkpoint notifications mostly come from the very law enforcement agencies conducting these DUI stops - because by law they have to publish that information to the public (in most states). Law enforcement -- as a rule -- believes that publishing such information is a deterrent against drunk driving. They do it for the same reason they tell local TV and radio stations about DUI checkpoints and stops on holiday weekends. It stops people from driving drunk.
But none of that matters because the Senate has successfully bullied Apple into banning these apps altogether. It's one of the many reasons why people (right or wrong) want to jailbreak their iOS devices..
Source: Edible Apple by way on Uncharted NES.
Comments
Re: Senators Successfully Bully Apple on DUI Apps
I guess this means that Grand Theft Auto-like video games will be banned? This site fails, again, to stay on-topic. If you have to put a spin on the content to make it relevant, please do so.
This sort of lame-brained stuff is exactly why iOS will lose to Android. All the developers I know are getting seriously turned off by Apple's approach to application deployment. They sink a lot of time and money into an iOS app and it all hinges on Apple approving the app. Meanwhile, Apple keeps adding new line items to their encumbered EULA, which is worse than most DRM schemes. Android apps, on the other hand, are instantly available in the Market as soon as the developer uploads it. Granted, Google can come along later and remove it, but it is better than Apple's draconian approach that can sink an entire business on a whim before it even gets out of the starting gate. Also, there is no one to ask at Apple BEFORE developing the app to see if it has a chance of being approved in the first place.
But that's only one reason that developers are flocking to Android in droves.
- Left4Dead
Why are zombies always eating brains? I want to see zombies that eat toes for a living. Undead-related pun intended.
Re: Senators Successfully Bully Apple on DUI Apps
I´m not surprised. Recently I heard that in Illinois you can get a 15 years sentence for videotaping police officers without their permission, despite the government can tape your phone line and that´s perfectly OK with them.
Suddenly Mexico is a better place to live.