Transportation Department looking to regulate navigation apps

A proposed transportation bill from the Obama administration would give the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration authority to regulate navigation aids in cars, including smartphone apps, reports The New York Times. The bill, known as the Grow America Act, contains a measure that would give the NHTSA the ability to place restrictions on apps, and order changes if certain features are found to be dangerous. Automakers and a number of safety advocates support the measure, in the hopes that it will reduce distracted driving. However, tech companies and other critics don’t believe it’s possible to properly regulate such apps. Apple and Google both declined comment on the article.