TomTom Sold Speeding Data To Police, Cops Used It To Bust Drivers

[The Straight Story]

TomTom Sold Speeding Data To Police, Cops Used It To Bust Drivers

GPS-maker TomTom has had to apologize for selling speeding data gathered from consumers' navigation devices to Dutch police, who used the info to set speed traps for drivers. The Amsterdam-based company says that it didn't know that the cops would use the information for law enforcement, and that no personal information tied to specific drivers was shared with police.

CEO Harold Goddijn said the company has stopped the practice, and that it was sharing data in the interest of public safety:

“
We are now aware that the police have used traffic information that you have helped to create to place speed cameras at dangerous locations where the average speed is higher than the legally allowed speed limit. We are aware a lot of our customers do not like the idea and we will look at if we should allow this type of usage.
”

According to Goddjin, all data was collected anonymously, and customers could opt out of providing the information. With GPS sales falling, TomTom has said it is looking for other ways to bring in cash, and will continue selling traffic data to authorities, though the company says it will change its licensing agreements so that the information can't be used to target consumers.

http://consumerist.com/2011/04/tomtom-sold-speeding-data-to-police-cops-used-it-to-bust-drivers.html

[live love laugh]

1. "...t didn't know that the cops would use the information for law enforcement..." Really? nt

[Liberal_in_LA]

11. +5

[Drale]

2. I love the

"We didn't know they where going to do only thing that could be done with that information" excuse. :sarcasm:

[leveymg]

3. GM looking for new revenue? On*Star has the same capabilities. Where does that data go?

So does your cell phone service carrier. All sorts of data exploitation opportunities out there.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

6. I refuse to shop GM because of OnSpy

Even if I refuse to pay for it, they STILL can turn it on with a warrant.

I tried to have them remove it from a truck I was looking at, in fact it was my only sticking point. They refused. So, I got a Dodge instead.

[PavePusher]

8. You could always disconnect it yourself...

or have an auto electronics shop do it.

It may be a warantee and/or liability issue for the dealer. In today's legal environment, the dealer could probably be sued broke if you got into a crash and suffered disability or death because that system was disabled at the point-of-sale.

[Enrique]

4. they didn't know

The Amsterdam-based company says that it didn't know that the cops would use the information for law enforcement.

[jody]

5. Not to worry, an Omnipotent President would never abuse that power in the US. Congress could pass

bills authorizing such abuses but any president could issue a signing statement rejecting such laws or issue an executive order directing the executive branch to refuse to enforce such laws.

Wouldn't she/he?

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

12. Is there any piece of news you can't spin as anti-Obama crap?

[obxhead]

7. Dangerous locations.

So, presumably they didn't KNOW the locations were dangerous until tomtom released the data. Until that point they were simply locations where people frequently sped unnoticed by law enforcement or accident statistics.

:eyes:

[JohnnyRingo]

9. A new era in crime investigation

In the article, a GPS maker provided data to the Dutch police to target speeders. I don't know if that could work under our laws yet, but we could see an end to the traffic cams befeore they even get started. You may not have a GPS in your car, but you, and almost everyone else, carries something even better in your shirt pocket every day.

Your smart phone knows exactly how fast you're driving, and precisely what time you drove through that intersection back there. Is it legal for police to use that info? The answer is, we don't know. In Michigan, Gov Rick Snyder has given state police permission to examain cell phones and extract information from people not yet under arrest.

Here's how it works: When police pull over a car, and if the police have a reason to suspect a driver of a crime, they typically do an "inventory search" for weapons and drugs "for their own safety" before questioning. The police take the cell phone back to the cruiser where they plug it into a "data extraction device". From there, they can check everything from recent calls and texts to where the subject has been via the GPS software. The device bypasses passwords to view your private emails and contact list.

The ACLU has been moving to stop this practice, and while proponents cheer the electronic search because they assume it only deals with people in "crack neighborhoods", the article posted shows how allowing this to continue can have wide ranging effect on our privacy. How long will it be before our cell phone data will be part of an accident investigation or a DUI arrest? Will it become standard in the very near future for police to ask for your drivers license, insurance card, and cell phone? So far, the information can only be used in an investigation, but I wonder if this conservative Supreme Court will rule it can also be entered into court as evidence. After all, as they like to say, what do you have to hide?

Who needs a traffic camera when we willingly carry a tracking device in our pockets?

http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/34/3458.asp

[Historic NY]

10. Psst.....you E-Z Pass could do the same thing...

you know time distance speed.

[Canuckistanian]

13. Wait a minute - how do they get the data out of the GPS?

Are some of these things web-enabled?

[jp11]

14. When people gave me money for information I had no idea it was actually worth something to them.

:shrug: