Apple fights to protect apps that help drunk drivers avoid the police

Apple's App Store is protected like Ted Nugent's guns — the company has axed apps that displayed profane tweets, political caricatures, or Snuggie sex positions. Which is why it's funny that they've decided to stick their necks out to protect apps that, seemingly, protect drunk drivers and help them avoid arrest.  After multiple Senators have targeted the apps in question (like Buzzed or Fuzz Alert Pro, the latter of which actually helps you avoid red-light cameras and speed traps in addition to checkpoints and "live" police), Apple is not backing down in the slightest.

Bud Tribble, vice president of software technology at Apple, noted that,

"These apps are actually publishing data on when and where the checkpoints are [using information] published by the police department. In some cases, the police department actually publishes when and where they're going to have a checkpoint…"

This issue is a little thorny because while certain police departments do broadcast this kind of data, Fuzz Alert, for example, works with "user input to the iPhone application," according to its web site. The gray issue arises with whether you classify these apps as a guiding conscience telling you to take a cab or a smirking accomplice telling you which turn to take to avoid the five-oh.