This speed trap app lets anyone take the law into their own hands

Want free Samsung credits? Here's $50 worth to get you started.

Reserve your interest in Samsung's new Galaxy lineup with your email—no purchase required. Enjoy up to $1,250 savings and a chance to win $5K in Samsung credit.

Reserve Now

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

Ever wanted to take the law into your own hands, and become a mobile speed trap? No? Me either, as everyone hates speed traps but that’s exactly what the developers of a speed trap app called Speedcam Anywhere created.

The Android app uses AI to estimate the speed of any vehicle in its view, and it’s a terrible idea. It’s supposedly the brainchild of “a team of AI scientists with backgrounds in Silicon Valley companies and top UK universities.”

It is the perfect example of “your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.”

READ MORE: This eye-scanning app screens patients for Alzheimer’s and ADHD

Let’s break it down. For one thing, your crowdsourced speed data isn’t going to hold up in court. Not that you’d get anywhere near court; as only law officers can cite drivers for speeding.

READ MORE: Is the NewProfilePic app safe?

The developers say it could deter speeding, and lead to fewer serious injuries on the roads. A worthy idea, sure, but turning citizens into snitches never ends well for the populace.

The other terrible part about this app? You have to pay to use it. It works on a credits system. You get 20 credits for free at sign-up; then it’s £15 ($19.56 USD) for 1000 credits to continue policing the streets.

Yeah, it’s a pass from us on this speed trap app. It seems that the reviews from users of Speedcam Anywhere also see this as a passing fad, with the most common complaint being that it’s difficult to sign-up in the first place.

Maybe that’s for the best, and leave the speed policing to the actual police, yeah?

READ MORE: This app will pay you $5 a day to keep you from drinking

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Epic Games has a free app that scans your world into video games
• Spotify could be entering the NFT world
• Peloton Guide is a camera that tracks and analyzes your workouts
• Tinder now lets you run background checks on your sketchy matches

Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.