Microsoft recently outed their new app for GPS's and cellphones which allows drivers to steer clear of unsafe neighborhoods. A lot of people have been calling it the "avoid ghetto" app in which the unsafe neighborhoods are defined by high rates of crime and weather. But, many critics are debating that this new application is racist.
The use of the word ghetto dates back to about 1600 in Venice. In a time when some areas of Europe were expelling their Jewish population, Venice opted to allocate a part of the city to their Jewish population to isolate them from the "regular" population. This enabled the citizens of Venice to use the services of the Jewish merchants, bankers and doctors, but still have them isolated. In the 1890s the word, which originally referred specifically to an area which Jews has to live by law, was expanded to denote any run-down urban area inhabited by an ethnic minority. Since the 1960s this use has become widespread.
In the presence of this new app, many soccer moms and traveling salesmen are taking grasp of the idea, because they do not want their kids to be in danger, or their clients. However, Cleveland Councilman, Zack Reed, believes the app is a very bad idea. He believes that it discriminates against neighborhoods where many good people are trying to make a living. He gave an example about driving down the road you live on, but the app says to avoid that road, therefore the app is telling you that your neighborhood is not safe. Reed believes that by the app saying his neighborhood is not safe, the opportunity to create jobs and economic opportunities won't be the same. Sarah Chinn, the author of Technology and the Logic of American Racism, thinks that the app is appalling. She said that crimes happen in all kinds of neighborhoods and that there are perpetrators of domestic violence, drug possession, fraud, theft, and rape in every area. Many observers believe this new technology to be racist in the sense that high crime rates are often paired with African-Americans. This application is set to be for Windows cell phones coming this year.
Question: Do you believe that this new technology is racist? Why is there so much controversy over it? Would you buy this app, why or why not?
Sources:
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that this new APP is racist. I think that this app is based on criminal statistics. If there were a majority of crimes in one area of a neighborhood but it was better in the other half of the neighborhood this app would direct you away for the neighborhood. I can definitely understand why there is controversy because people can think of this app as avoiding areas with a population of black people or a population of white people. However, people are forgetting that this app is based off of something that has nothing to do with race. What about the neighborhoods that have a mixed racial population? I don't think that I would ever buy this app because I find it very unreliable. It does not consider many of the other circumstances that could determine what a neighborhood is like. If my neighborhood was bad and I lived in it, that doesn't mean that I wouldn't go there. I don't think that this app considers any of the other factors that makes a neighborhood either safe or not safe. Crime is not the only thing that matters in the circumstances of making an app.
ReplyDeleteI agree, this app is not racist, this app has nothing to do with race. It is a GPS that tells you how safe certain areas are. If you think about it, the people calling this app racist are the racist ones. They just liked an entire race with living in unsafe neighborhoods. There is so much controversy over it because people don't think. I would buy this app so I can be safer.
ReplyDeleteI do not think this app is racist because it is not based on racial matters it is about the high crime rate within those towns. I understand how there is controversy over it because the people in the high crime rate towns are being pointed out and made more noticeable which i is probably offending. This is a great thing at was created though because if I was an adult that had kids in the car I would not want to bring them through places that I do not feel comfortable going through. I am sure it will always be debated about whether it is racist or not but the majority of America will most likely agree that this is a comforting and helpful app and is not racist at all.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I do not think this app is racist but I can see where people are coming from when they call it out as being racist. I think the main point of this app was to keep people safe and not trying to discriminate. However, people of those cities or towns may feel discriminated against especially if they are black because many people are still racist towards them. Also blacks have always been considered to be poor and thieves. Therefore it is causing controversy due to the misunderstandings of what the app is really about and what it really was made for. Personally, I am not sure if I would buy this app. It would be a good app to have because since I am a new driver I don't really know what I'd around and I could get lost really easily, but you aren't supposed to use your phone when you are driving so the app may be a waste of money in that perspective.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that this app is racist. I think that people are making it a bigger deal than it really is. I think it is simply a way for people to avoid high crime areas in the U.s. Since the app is based on the amount of crime in that city, town, or street, it has nothing to do with race nor should be considered racist. Although certain racial groups commonly live in some of these certain "Ghetto's" doesn't mean anything because that is also just a statics, and doesn't come into play with this app. I believe that this app is not racist, just another app added to the many already made.
ReplyDeleteI am unsure if I would deem this app racist because the people living in these neighborhoods could be of any race. The title “Ghetto” app may be seen as racist but judging from the history of the word it does not seem to point to one particular race. I believe that this application is arising much controversy because a majority of bad or impoverished neighborhoods are not of white backgrounds. Thus, this application by many can seem racist, though it sort of seems a little racist of a belief by the accusers, Furthermore, I would probably consider buying myself this app for my own safety. Now that I have my license and can drive, I can definitely see why one would buy it. Thus, overall, I definitely agree with Katie’s point that this app seems to only take crime rates into effect and that’s all, so it seems quite harmless overall and was really meant to ensure the safety of the drivers.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone above me, this app doesn’t seem racist to me. The whole concept of this app is to allow people to keep away from neighborhoods with high crime rates, not to avoid certain people of different races. It was also created for the purpose of helping new drivers with safety and directions on the road, helping them to stay clear of neighborhoods that could potentially be dangerous without them knowing it. However, I can definitely see how some people would think this is racist because this app could be seen as avoiding areas with a population of black people or even a population of white people. I would consider buying this app because I get lost very easily while driving and it might help me to steer clear of any dangerous areas.
ReplyDeleteI don't think this new app is racist, in fact I believe that if you think it is racist, you are racist. This app functions by displaying areas with high crime rates in order to guide people away from these areas. If you believe this is racist, you would be implying that areas with high crime rates are always made up mostly of a certain race. The app has nothing to do with race, does not display race, or anything of that sort. I would definitely buy this app if I was traveling through areas, especially in the inner city, that I was not familiar with.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone so far. This app should not be scene as racist. It isn't even made to be a racist app; it was made by Microsoft Corporation for beginner drivers and other drivers to avoid unsafe neighborhoods. Many people may only claim that this is a "Gheto Detector or Avoider" only because a majority of unsafe neighborhoods are of a specific race, but it is only coincidental. The app looks for high crime areas and detours directions on a mobile phone or GPS for people to avoid those areas. The downside to the app is getting directions on a GPS from an unknown area to your house, and having the GPS saying "find another route" because it can't redirect the directions to another location when your house is in the unsafe area. I know it may seem like an AntiGheto app for GPS and to the eyes of the people who live in the locations, but the app is just based on statistical information. I for one, like Paige, would buy this app, because I wouldn't want to drive through a high crime area and end up being car jacked or whatever else. I would like to at least see what neighborhoods are considered high crime and unsafe, because I probably never knew that, and would find it interesting to see which ones, if any, are in a five mile radius from my house.
ReplyDeleteI don't think this app was intended to be racist, but I can see why people could see it that way. If this app is based on crime rates in certain areas, than it can't really be considered racist. The controversy is that these certain areas are ones that are highly populated by minority groups and so those opposing it are assuming that by wanting to avoid these certain areas people are wanting to avoid these certain people. I probably wouldn't buy it just because I'm not really somebody who likes technology or uses it that often, so I would just have no use for it. I don't really think it's racist though, and wouldn't really feel guilty if i did buy it.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that this app is racist. All that it is trying to do is to tell the person who owns the app which places are safe and which ones are not. It's solely based on criminal statistics and has nothing to do with the race that lives there. I can see why people think the name of the app is kind of racist, but based on the history of the word "ghetto." You really can't deem it racist. In the end, this app is not trying to degrade anybody, it's just trying to show people which places are not safe. I don't think it's racist and i wouldn't rule out buying it.
ReplyDeleteI somewhat believe that it is racist. There is a good point that it is trying to tell which area is safe or not, but who is the one that decides that it is safe. Some people may not consider a certain area a "Ghetto", but it is just trying to make it safe for people. I would probably buy this app, just in case. If the area was a place I have been to and I know its safe, I,ll go, but if it is an unknown place I would follow the GPS
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that this app is racist because it isn't specifically pointing out races or linking it to where the bad neighborhoods. Although I do not think it is racist I don't like the app because if it tells people to avoid neighborhoods it could affect business in that local area which is not fair to them. Just because an area has a higher crime rate does not specifically mean you are more likely to be robbed, the crimes might just be between locals. Overall I would get it just to see what places have high crime rates just for the fun of it.
ReplyDeleteAs mostly everyone has said so far, I agree that this does not seem to be a racist app. This GPS app is based off statistical crime rates. The controversy around this app is that a surplus of these neighborhoods happen to be in areas where people are of different racial backgrounds. That being said, I doubt that this app was created for discrimination, it seems to just be looking out for the security of whomever purchases it. Some white neighborhoods have high crime rates as well, thus the GPS would steer a person away from those neighborhoods as well. Furthermore, based on the history of the word "ghetto" it is not a racist term but perhaps deemed racist by association. In this way, I would probably consider buying this application for my own benefit since I would not want to drive through an area that had high crime rates, regardless of the racial composition of these dangerous neighborhoods.
ReplyDeletei am kind of in the middle for this app. i can understand why people would think that it is racist because of the fact that they app is saying things about the neighborhood that makes them seem that bad people. i mean what if the person was accused for something that he did not do at all and the app is saying that it is a bad neighborhood. but i also agree with it because some neighborhoods may not be suitable for some people and it is safe if they stayed away from the neighborhood. i probably would buy this app just to see what neighborhoods are bad. i would not use it in a racist way i would just buy it to see what it says about some neighborhoods.
ReplyDeleteTo answer the question on is the app racist or not I would say no. It is a tool used to monitor an area for dangers so that people don't go somewhere that they may be unsafe. It does not necessarily mean that the neighborhood that the app says is unsafe is filled with minorities or other races. While I do not think that is is intentionally being racist it is sort of suggesting it. From the interview we heard on the app it almost seem as if the app picks up unsafe neighborhoods by race. It gives those who are against the creation and selling of this app some serious proof to have it discontinued. The final question on if I would buy the app i would have to say probably. To me it sounds like something you would use very rarely but when you need it, the app sounds useful. Especially in areas you may not be familiar with.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that this new app is racist, but I can see why some may think it is. This app is to tell you certain areas and neighborhoods to stay away from for safety reasons, because of crime rates in these areas. Some people may think that this is racist because the areas that they are telling you to "stay away" from because they are unsafe are mainly neighborhoods that are highly populated with certain minority groups that certain people may consider dangerous to be around. For myself I would most likely not buy this app because I would probably not use it too often, but I do think it can be useful for some people who travel a lot in areas that they are unfamiliar in.
ReplyDeleteI don’t believe that this app was intended to be racist, but I can see why some people would find this racist. The app is based on crime rates in a certain area, so that doesn’t really mean it’s racist. The controversy with this app is that the certain areas that do have a crime rate are populated by minority groups. So people who are opposing this app are going to avoid these certain areas just based on their crime rates. I think this app is solely based on criminal statistics and has nothing to do with the race of the people living in the area.
ReplyDeletei think that this app could be considered racist by a lot of people, but personally i dont think so. I have personally gotten lost in Boston, NYC, and Miami, and have needed up in not so good places. It would have came in handy then, i think in order for it to not be considered racist, the name would have to be changed.
ReplyDeleteI do not think this app is racist. They base unsafe neighborhoods on the statitics of crime. As many others have said i can understand how some may think that it is racist, due to the fact that the app is saying bad things about some neighborhoods. However, the app does not mention anything about race, and some of the nieghborhoods mentioned in this app are highly populated by certain minority groups. I do not think this app was ever intentially trying to be racist and I do not personally think it is racist because the unsafe neighborhoods are solely determined by high crime rates. But as said, it can be considered racist and i understand why people would consider it racist and would have a problem with it
ReplyDeleteI feel like the name of this app may present itself to seem more racist than it actually is. I think that it seems unreasonable to create such a thing to avoid neighborhoods that are called "bad." Bad is relevant and everybody has a different interpretation of a good neighborhood versus a bad neighborhood. So thinking at it in this sense makes me believe that it could be racist because most of the bad neighborhoods are made up of minorities, presenting the assumption that minorities are bad. Even though the bad neighborhoods are named due to the crime stats I believe that something like this is unnecessary and can be hurtful to those who live in the "bad" neighborhoods. Like I said, minorities are making up the "bad" neighborhoods which leads Americans into controversial stereotypes of the avoidable areas.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't purchase this app because I would rather use a GPS to tell me how to get someplace instead of being told which ways not to go. Though it could potentially help keep people save, I believe that it would segregate the minorities from the rest of society.