Tesla fans are choosing Waze over the navigation system the car company provides. Tesla drivers are finding flaws in the native navigation system, like longer routes and traffic. Their frustration can be read in forums discussing their navigation woes. However, people are as innovative as the technology they use, or drive, leading them to other tech companies in search of a solution. Tesla fans found Waze to be a great substitute, but their privacy may be at stake.
Tesla Fans Using a Google Navigation App?
Waze is a Google navigation app that helps drivers find the quickest route to get where they need to be. It also helps users avoid traffic along those routes, running on real-time navigation and traffic help from millions of other drivers. Google has celebrated Waze as the largest community-based navigation app in the world with more than a million users. It helps drivers avoid traffic jams, and save gas during daily commutes. Tesla fans are among the million or so users, finding the Google app more useful.
Waze Can be Hacked
Researchers from the University of California discovered that hackers can use Waze to cause havoc with privacy risks. Users should be wary of the app because hackers can easily track your movements and create fake traffic. This sounds like a Big Brother conspiracy app, allowing the government to track our movements. But, it is more likely that Google needs to work out a few bugs in the app.
Hackers Create Ghost Drivers
What exactly can ghost drivers do? By running scripts on a laptop, researchers found that they could create thousands of ghost drivers in a specific grid on the app. These ghost drivers can be used to track users and create traffic that simply does not exist within a specific grid on the app. This could put your privacy at risk, and create navigation problems while driving.
Basic Information is All They Need
A reporter investigated the Waze problem further and found that your name and address is all a hacker needs to track your movements. Getting someone’s name and address is not a very difficult thing to accomplish. Ironically, a quick Google search can prove useful for that information. The reporter let the University of California research team track her movements using the Google app, which was met with success. The ability for a hacker to track a user is due to its social sharing capabilities. It allows users to share information via the app, like their geolocation. You can also connect with your Facebook friends on the app, letting them see where you are heading to.
Tesla Fans be Weary
It would be frustrating to spend a large sum of money on an innovative car, like the Tesla Model S, and not have a good navigation system in place. Why do Tesla owners need to download a Google app? But, the current navigation system problems have forced fans to use Waze, which may put their privacy at risk. Google reported that they are monitoring the problem, but a bigger issue remains. Technology is so innovative and advanced that people have lost nearly all their privacy. Tesla fans should rethink Waze. After all, gas mileage is a non-issue for Tesla owners.
