Microsoft "avoid ghetto" patent sparks controversy

AFP/Getty Images

(CBS) - Controversy over a new Microsoft patent has people questioning whether or not the intention has racist undertones.

CNET reported that Microsoft has been granted a U.S. patent that will steer pedestrians away from areas that are high in crime.

"As a pedestrian travels, various difficulties can be encountered, such as traveling through an unsafe neighborhood or being in an open area that is subject to harsh temperatures," Microsoft stated in their patent claims. "A route can be developed for a person taking into account factors that specifically affect a pedestrian. Moreover, the route can alter as a situation of a user changes; for instance, if a user wants to add a stop along a route."

It's been coined the "avoid ghetto" GPS patent, but its purpose is a bit more complex.

What the technology actually does is collects and analyzes data to give the users the best possible route home. According to Microsoft's claims, your Windows 7 smartphone would gather "information related to pedestrian travel include maps (e.g., extracted from a database), user history, weather information, crime statistics, demographic information."

After data has been gathered, Microsoft says a smartphone could be set to "at least one criterion, such as keeping a user safe."

If used as Microsoft intends, the directions can be used to determine whether or not you should be walking, depending on the weather or commute pattern. The purpose of the patent doesn't seem as nefarious as it's been depicted.

The part of this patent should raise concern is the section that state a device could be programmed to integrate an "advertisement component" with a set of directions. Meaning, not only might we take the long way home, we may also be forced to pass by billboards at Microsoft's will. Yikes!

[Bojax39]

"Controversy over a new Microsoft patent has people questioning whether or not the intention has racist undertones."

So what the hell is racist about avoiding areas where you're statistically more likely to be assaulted? And what's racist about a company developing a product which helps you to do so?

Those who whine about products like this are either perpetrators of crime who don't like to see victims warned, morons who deserve to be mugged or people who love to create a stink because they have nothing better to do.

[Userjoe9066]

As a black man I think this feature is amazing, personally speaking as someone who was raised in a "crime riddled area" I can attest that having an alternate route that took through the nicer part of town would have led to less muggings and certainly less bruises. This feature is not even the slightest bit racist, anyone whom thinks otherwise is indeed a racist. Don't be offended that people want to avoid where you live, instead do something useful and try to improve your area. Stop ******** over arbitrary issues that don't solve themselves. The good guys at microsoft are simply trying to make the lives of some others a bit easier stop hating. Asshats.

[Xiaoth]

Anyone who associates "high crime area" or even "ghetto" with "racism" is in fact himself racist. In an unbiased perspective, there is no correlation between crime and race. That this article is even a thing makes me sick.

[Userjoe9066]

Damn right, and well said. I'm a black man and this infuriates me to no end to see people up in arms over a feature that can sure as hell help some people and maybe even possibly drop mortality rates in some areas due to the old "wrong place and the wrong time" People sicken me.

[Bojax39]

True, and thanks for bringing that up!

[jadeplatypus]

If you hear high crime area and picture a run down neighborhood with a bunch of baggy pants wearing black men, you're racist. Personally I think high crime area and I think of the street next to my apartment. The majority of residents on this street are white, but it's a bad neighborhood.

Microsoft never said the software avoids black people or that it avoids white trash trailer parks, or that is avoids mexican neighborhoods. The thought that Microsoft is being racist is in itself a racist thought.

Some people are claiming that violent crimes are too widespread and too far apart to actually avoid them and the software is therefore racist by labeling these areas high crime. It's not thew software that does it, it's based on statistics. Yes the statistics are often outdated, so what? That's not Microsofts problem, that's a police issue. Also, even if avoiding these high crime areas isn't actually saving anyone, it will at least make them feel a little safer.

If you think that bad neighborhood means black neighborhood, think again. You're the one being racist.

If you're offended by the fact that this software helps people avoid your street, perhaps you should take a look at your street and consider for yourself, is microsoft giving people the option to avoid your area because of what color your skin is, or because of statistics that show that your area is in fact a bad area.

Before you callan entire company racist, consider how you look at others first, if you see everyone as equals, how can you jump to thinking that Microsoft is singling out a race?

[missytoes]

Should include the confederate flag waving ghettos too.

[boycott-microsoft]

Boycott Microsoft for software crimes against humanity!

"Microsoft Gentrification" application is bad for the world. MS creates even lower real estate prices, from faulty 'radius' driven application. Application wrongly classifies neighborhoods as crime areas.

More burglaries occur in wealthy houses areas!

Their algorithm is flawed at the expense of property owners who will loose billions from a flawed algorithm. Boycott microsoft

M$ is supports dividing of classes! They see society in two categories, rich/poor. Which is exactly the type of people and community they breed in Redmond. Anyone could have created this little app decades ago. BUT some companies have morals values, (NOT MICROSOFT) and understand what is positive and what is negative for the world. MS cares nothing more than profits at the expense of you and me.
Boycott Microsoft NOW!

[bobnjersey]

[M$ is supports dividing of classes! They see society in two categories, rich/poor. Which is exactly the type of people and community they breed in Redmond. ]
-------------------------------------
unfortunately ... the division of classes preceded microsoft by a few thousand years. what they're doing here is using technology to do it more efficiently.

technology ... with all it's great benefits ... will ultimately be the death of us all ... but at least you'll be notified immediately when it's about to happen.

[boycott-microsoft]

Boycott Microsoft for software crimes against humanity!

They keyword is ""RADIUS""

Microsoft Gentrification application is bad for the world. MS creates even lower real estate prices, from faulty 'radius' driven application. Application wrongfully classifies neighborhoods as crime areas.

More burglaries occur in wealthy houses areas!

Their algorithm is flawed at the expense of property owners who will loose billions from a flawed algorithm. Boycott microsoft

M$ is supports dividing of classes! They see society in two categories, rich/poor. Which is exactly the type of people and community they breed in Redmond. Ivy league silver spoon fed spoiled kids who ride the inheritance into employment and carry their customs into society. Anyone could have created this little app decades ago. BUT people have morals values, and understand what is positive and what is negative for the world. MS cares nothing more than profits at the expense of you and me, and the future of humanity.
Boycott Microsoft NOW!

[fredswanley]

Africa for the Africans,Asia for the Asians,white countries for EVERYBODY!

Everybody says there is this RACE problem. Everybody says this RACE problem will be solved when the third world pours into EVERY white country and ONLY into white countries.

The Netherlands and Belgium are just as crowded as Japan or Taiwan, but nobody says Japan or Taiwan will solve this RACE problem by bringing in millions of third worlders and quote assimilating unquote with them.

Everybody says the final solution to this RACE problem is for EVERY white country and ONLY white countries to "assimilate," i.e., intermarry, with all those non-whites.

What if I said there was this RACE problem and this RACE problem would be solved only if hundreds of millions of non-blacks were brought into EVERY black country and ONLY into black countries?

How long would it take anyone to realize I'm not talking about a RACE problem. I am talking about the final solution to the BLACK problem?

And how long would it take any sane black man to notice this and what kind of psycho black man wouldn't object to this?

But if I tell that obvious truth about the ongoing program of genocide against my race, the white race, Liberals and respectable conservatives agree I am a naziwhowantstokillsixmillionjews.

They say they are anti-racist. What they are is anti-white.

Anti-racist is a code word for anti-white.

[rwsmith29456]

Even without a computer if I have to routes, one through a high crime area and the other through a historically safer area which on do you think I'm going to choose. I think perhaps the NAME of the software carries implications but it's function is unquestionably practical and desirable. Give it another name and put it on the market.

[Scimajor]

"steer pedestrians away from areas that are high in crime. "

The action of screaming "racist" based on the above information is by definition a racist act.

People who go out of their way to find racism in everything are at best parnoid and at worst both parnoid and racist themselves.

[jadeplatypus]

I agree with you completely. Microsoft never hinted that anyone was avoiding a race of people, simply an area of town. Even if avoiding this high crime area doesn't make you any safer in the end, it may make someone feels better about their route.

The people who are claiming microsoft is racist are the ones being racist.