More than two months after four United States Senators sent a letter pleading with Google, RIM, and Apple to remove DUI Checkpoint applications, Apple has decided to succumb to the pressure and comply. RIM, the maker of Blackberry, responded almost immediately to these senators’ request by banning these applications back in March 2011. Apple; however, just updated its guidelines on June 6, 2011, under Section 22: Legal Requirements with a subitem that reads as follows: “applications which contain DUI Checkpoints that are not published by law enforcement agencies or encourage and enable drunk driving will be rejected.”
The pressure was on for Apple when last month at a hearing focused on privacy issues at the US Senate, Senator Charles Schumer of New York, used his time to ask Bud Tribble, an Apple executive, why Apple had not removed or rejected applications that help drivers avoid DUI checkpoints. Tribble responded with the following: “one of the things we found is that some of these apps are actually publishing data on when and where the checkpoints are [using information] published by the police departments. In some cases, the police department actually publishes when and where they’re going to have a checkpoint… They believe that these checkpoints provide a deterrent effect.”
Apple decided to make a compromise by only banning applications that share unpublished DUI checkpoints. It will be interesting to see how closely this new limitation in Apple’s policies will be followed. If you or someone you love has been arrested for a DUI, do not hesitate to contact the Parker Law Center today for a free consultation. (800) 805-8804
