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It took weeks of protesting and public criticism, but an app alerting D.C. drivers of approaching speed cameras finally got the green light from Apple. The Washington Post reports that as of yesterday afternoon, Speed Cameras Alert is available for free from the app store— which marks a reversal from Apple’s initial decision.
Northern Virginia resident Charles Yeh designed the app to give the driver an alert when they are nearing a speed camera. However, it appears that Apple initially confused speed cameras with speed traps. The message that Yeh received when he submitted the app for review reveals this mistake.
“Your app contains content—or facilitates, enables, and encourages an activity—that is not legal in all of the locations where the app is available. Specifically, the primary purpose of your app is to identify speed trap locations.”
Indeed, it would be illegal (albeit, impressive) to turn an iPhone into a radar detector, but even the name of the app should have been an indicator that this was not Yeh’s intention. He put a petition on Change.org two weeks ago that included his response to the Cupertino-based tech giant.
Admittedly, both speed cameras and speed traps can cost fast drivers money and make their lives temporarily miserable, but the locations of the former are public information. Yeh’s app is usable because MPD makes the locations of speed cameras public (and warns D.C. residents as to when they’re going up.) With speed traps, drivers just have to assume that they’re between the trees somewhere on I-95 and stay vigilant.
Yeh started working on an Android version, which wouldn’t have had this problem, after Apple’s rejection.