A technology industry trade group sponsored by Microsoft, eBay and Intel is pushing back against a campaign by Senate Democrats asking smartphone makers to remove applications that warn users about DUI checkpoints.

The Association for Competitive Technology wrote to Sens. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) on Monday after the lawmakers asked Google, Apple, and Research In Motion to pull the apps from their platforms last week.

"While we share your concern for road safety, and that even one drunk driver on the road is too many, we urge you to proceed slowly and consider the implications to the mobile apps ecosystem where regulation and rule of law are abandoned and apps are pulled by government fiat," said ACT president Jonathan Zuck.

Zuck argues that apps like PhantomALERT and Trapster use information that law enforcement agencies are legally required to publish along with user-generated reports that help reduce speeding and improve traffic safety.

Update: ACT spokesman Jonathan Godfrey clarified that the makers of PhantomAlert are also members of ACT, which he characterized as a trade group primarily representing smaller and medium-sized technology firms focused on grassroots tech policy issues.



Zuck said app developers are concerned about their products being pulled from the market not because they are illegal or in poor taste, but becase of inaccurate news stories that prompt Congressional outcry.

"Apps developers are fearful that actions by elected officials to restrict the distribution of these products will thwart the rights of citizens to exercise free speech and share information already in the public domain," Zuck said.



"ACT believes this will set a dangerous precedent harming future sales in a nascent market with enormous opportunities for growth."

RIM, which makes the BlackBerry line of smartphones, has already said it will comply with the lawmakers' request. Google has indicated it does not plan to do so.

This story was update at 6:27pm

