Due to the country’s invasion by neighbouring Russia, Google has temporarily disabled the Google Maps feature which generates live information on traffic data in Ukraine. The purpose is to ensure the safety of citizens in the local communities.
The decision came after the company consulted with the local authorities. Google shut down access to real-time information on traffic conditions for crowded locations such as stores and restaurants. Though, people who use Google Maps to find their way around still have access to traffic information.
The features leverage crowdsourced location data from Android smartphones to reveal traffic jams and busy areas. According to experts, such information could provide insight into new ways of invading the nation. An open source intelligence (OSINT) expert said that he detected traces of the Russian invasion early on Thursday morning after noticing unusual “traffic bottlenecks” near the Ukrainian border on Google Maps.
Information like these can be made available by the location data gathered by technology found in Maps of geolocation services. If you’ve ever used a fitness tracking software like Strava, you may have noticed that a map of user activity released in 2017 revealed the whereabouts of various US military outposts. Photographs and videos taken from the frontlines of the Iraq War have been collected using Snapchat’s geolocation features. Open-source investigators, journalists, and others rely on information published in warzones via social media, whether or not it contains location data.
Ideally, this information is supposed to be supplemented with other sources in order to produce reliable information. For example, in the instance of the traffic delays that were detected outside of Ukraine on Thursday, investigators were already on the scene studying the area using satellite photography at the time. The smartphone data itself is most likely derived from civilians detained at roadblocks, rather than soldiers using Android smartphones.
As the crisis in Ukraine intensifies, Google stated it was blocking Russian State Media from running adverts and monetizing across all its platforms, including YouTube. “In response to a government request, we’ve limited access to RT and other networks in Ukraine,” a Google spokeswoman stated. Earlier, Meta reiterated similar moves.
