[rockinghigh]

Sending live navigation data to servers is useful to update traffic information in real time. Estimates of arrival time are much more accurate if you know how long it took to somebody who used the same route 10 minutes ago.

[kuschku]

These are German car manufacturers,though.

1st, Germans really like their privacy, 2nd, We have inductive loops at EVERY single lane of every single intersection. Meaning, you can get live traffic data without needing to know where everyone is.

[rbinv]

> We have inductive loops at EVERY single lane of every single intersection.

What? I'm German and I have never heard about this. I also can't find anything to support this.

I am aware of induction used for traffic light switching, but certainly not at every intersection, let alone in every lane.

[kuschku]

Well, I’ve seen them at every intersection I’ve been to in Kiel, Berlin, etc.

At least in the bigger cities for traffic shaping they measure the traffic at every lane of every intersection.

[jacquesm]

That should be 'opt-in'.