Google's Waze Crowdsourced Traffic and Navigation App is a Hit, But How Does It Impact Privacy, the Law…and Google Maps?

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Oct 01, 2015, 10:40 ET

LONDON, Oct. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Google's Waze Crowdsourced Traffic and Navigation App is a Hit, But How Does It Impact Privacy, the Law…and Google Maps?

Introduction

In a recent report, Stratecast explored some of the early benefits being realized in the automotive market by applying Big Data to optimize how vehicles are designed, manufactured, marketed, sold, financed, serviced, and accessorized, and how they perform on the road.2 Systems and sensors are beginning to embed information obtainable from vehicles into the Internet of Things (IoT).

Connected cars equipped with vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can "talk" with other vehicles, the roadway itself, and various elements of the supply chain, to enhance traffic flow and safety, as well as maintenance and customer care. This also paves the way for driverless cars.

All of these things can enhance the driving (or, as the case may be, non-driving) experience; and all are focused on taking control out of human hands and putting highly advanced machines in charge. Yet, even as this machine-driven future fast approaches, the ability to quickly assimilate and analyze Big Data is also providing new ways for humans to take more control over their on-road experience.

One of those ways is Waze, which is now the world's largest crowdsourced traffic and navigation app, with more than million users in countries. Waze users share real-time roadway and traffic information with the Waze network and each other.

By connecting drivers to one another, Waze is creating local driving communities that work together to improve road experiences by helping users avoid accidents, sidestep traffic jams, find the best prices on gasoline, avoid traffic tickets, and find deals at local stores. Waze, which was launched in Israel, as a competitor to Google Maps and Apple Maps, has so much to offer that Google—whose Google Maps application is the leading traffic and navigation app, and the sixth most widely used smartphone app3 —paid $ billion to acquire Waze in June 2013.

However, some of the very capabilities that make Waze the most feature-rich, interactive traffic and navigation app also raise questions about its impacts on privacy, law enforcement, and its coexistence with Google Maps. This Stratecast SPIE report discusses key capabilities and benefits of the Waze app, and analyzes those impacts

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/3113621/

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