Dutch cops using TomTom data to position speed cams

Chris Smith
Tech Radar
April 27, 2011

TomTom has issued a statement after it was revealed that police in Holland are using historical speed data, captured by its savnav devices, as a guide for positioning speed traps.

Devices like the Go LIVE 1000 collect speed information automatically and backs it up to a TomTom database, which allows the company to improve the service the dashboard companion can offer.

TomTom also makes the database available to authorities for safety and logistic purposes, but says it was unaware that the police were using it in this way and promises to listen to customer concerns.

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TomTom to end police access to data

Radio Netherlands Worldwide
April 27, 2011

Navigation systems company TomTom has announced it will change its licensing conditions to prevent users’ travel data being used by the police.

The CEO of the Dutch company, Harold Goddijn, was reacting to earlier reports that the travel data collected by the company and made available to local and regional government in the Netherlands was also being used by the police. Some police forces have been using the information to plan their roadside speed traps.

“We did not anticipate this kind of use and many of our customers are not happy about it” says the company statement issued on Wednesday. “We will therefore be adding conditions to our licence agreements to prevent this kind of use in future.”

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Apple sets sights on TomTom with location data collection; Populating traffic database as we speak

Kate Solomon
Tech Radar
April 27, 2011

Apple has finally admitted that it has indeed been gathering location data, but it isn’t tracking you personally; the company claims it is using the ‘anonymous’ data to build a crowd-sourced traffic database.

This sounds suspiciously similar to the kinds of services offered by Android Maps’ turn-by-turn navigation services and TomTom, which is no doubt quaking in its boots at the thought of competing directly with Apple.

Apple’s Q&A states, “Apple is now collecting anonymous traffic data to build a crowd-sourced traffic database with the goal of providing iPhone users an improved traffic service in the next couple of years.”

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This article was posted: Wednesday, April 27, 2011 at 3:11 pm

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