Why you should consider using TomTom AmiGO as an alternative to Waze
Like many others, you have probably switched (or considered switching) from using WhatsApp to an alternative messaging app like Telegram or Signal. You may be thinking: “What data do I give to corporations without knowing?” or “What are the benefits and cons of information-sharing?”, or even “Well gee, what other apps in my phone should I consider changing?”
Well, fret no more as I am here to answer all your hypothetical questions and show you how to start making better choices in the future regarding your data privacy!
Please note that all opinions expressed in this article are my own, and do not represent the views of the companies mentioned.
So what has been going on with WhatsApp?
In recent weeks, many have become aware of WhatsApp’s (i.e. Facebook’s) change to their terms and conditions and it prompted many to start questioning what data they are unknowingly giving.
Some users were also asking themselves what data they are willing to give to corporations in exchange for their services. Their favourite colour? Yes. Their holiday photos? Maybe. Their private secrets discussed between best friends? Probably not!
Even though there were no changes to the terms and conditions that affected personal accounts (the changes only applied to business accounts), many users started questioning the privacy of their data.
Some anecdotes started to pop up online of users messaging friends about wanting to buy something and then the same item appearing on an advert on their Facebook the next day. Imagine! While these situations are coincidental, it is good that we think about what data we give to apps that offer free services and decide whether the trade-offs are worth it.
After all, nothing is ever free!
What about data privacy in other applications?
One of the other players in the advertising market that you might have heard of is Google. Whilst they are renowned for their search engine, their biggest income is actually from advertising. In their 2017 Annual report, 46% of their profit was from advert clicks, amounting to US$109,652 million [source].
As you may have noticed, Google has gradually added adverts to once ad-free mobile applications, for example, Google Maps. Despite adding personalised recommendations, it allows room for manipulation as the maps become filled with businesses who can afford to buy advertising. I experienced this when I got the update as I received ads for businesses that I was not interested in. Very annoying for the user experience!
What data can be shared between applications?
Did you know that in 2013, Google acquired Waze [source], a turn-by-turn car navigation mobile app? However, they are known for showing a tremendous amount of advertising to drivers which, in my opinion, is at the cost of the user experience.
Essentially this means that by continuing to use Waze, you consent to give your location history data to Google. Even though you can choose to opt-out of personalised ads, you will always see adverts when you search or browse the map, which is not great…
Well then, what can I do to become more data-aware?
Just like with WhatsApp, you can take this time to look at alternatives out there that put your data privacy as a priority.
With the recent adoption of ‘privacy labels’ on the App Store in December 2020 [source], it is clear more than ever which companies respect your privacy (and which don’t).
An alternative to Waze is TomTom AmiGO. This is because not only do they offer a similar feature-set, such as warnings and turn-by-turn navigation but they put data privacy first. From the app store listing to daily usage, TomTom is transparent about what happens with your data.
TomTom AmiGO does not have targeted adverts (as it just really isn’t necessary) so you will never be distracted when driving. Data that is necessary for the app to function is de-identified, meaning that it is only used for improving the navigation experience rather than for an advert experience. Best thing is you don’t have to just trust TomTom on that.
On the App Store pages they show you exactly what data is used and how it is used (notice the difference above between TomTom AmiGO and Waze). Also note that Google Maps has not been updated since 14th December 2020 (as of 19/02/21), which was when privacy labels were introduced. So, what they do with your data is a mystery...
As well as maintaining the user’s data privacy, TomTom also offer the latest traffic information using the TomTom Traffic Index (see here for how 2020 impacted this). This data is verified by TomTom so you know you’ll always have the fastest route.
Check out TomTom AmiGO! The best privacy-orientated mobile app for day-to-day driving or road trips with the peace of mind that your data is private and secure.
Thanks for reading my (first) blog post, and if you enjoyed it consider following me for more! As you made it to the end, let me introduce myself:
My name is Katie and I am an Associate Software Engineer at TomTom. I write code for this great navigation app called TomTom AmiGO (you should check it out by clicking here).
📸 Follow my daily life at @katiesaeyo
💼 Find out what I’m working on at https://www.linkedin.com/in/katieisnell/
👩💻 See what I’m coding at https://github.com/katieisnell/
All illustrations designed and drawn by the wonderful Jessica (see more @jy.paint)
