Alphabet Inc.’s Google confirmed that it has Temporarily disabled some services of your Google Maps app in Ukraine that provide live information on the state of traffic and the degree of occupancy of different places.
The company confirmed the move on Sunday after consulting with Ukrainian authorities as the country fends off an invasion by the Russian military.
Google said there was taken the step of globally turning off the Google Maps traffic layer and live information about how busy places like shops and restaurants are in Ukraine for the safety of local communities in the country.
Signs of the initial Russian invasion on Google Maps
Recently, Jerry Lewis, an open source intelligence expert and professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in California, said that Google Maps helped him track a “traffic jam” that was actually Russian movement toward the border hours before Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the attack.
Although Lewis used the data to witness the invasion of Ukraine in real timestressed that the data could also put into risk the lives of civiliansas well as that of the Ukrainian military.
“I think big data companies often don’t want to be confronted directly with how useful their data can be,” Lewis told vice-news. “I mean, he’s great when we do it, right? Maybe it would be less cool if the Russians were able to do something along the lines of, you know, detect an offensive by the Ukrainians.”
according to vice-newsExperts had already pointed to the possibility of Google data being exploited by Russian forces, who could theoretically use Maps’ traffic feature to keep an eye on Ukrainian troops and notice when they move.
For its part, Google said live traffic information was still available to drivers using its navigation features. turn by turn in the area.
New measures of large technology companies
Ukraine is facing attacks from Russian forces that invaded the country on Thursday. As missiles fell on Ukrainian cities, almost 400,000 civilians, mainly women and children, have fled to neighboring countries. Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a “special operation.”
Big tech companies like Google have stated that they are taking new measures to protect the safety of users in the region.
Online services and social networking sites have also been hacked by researchers who are piecing together activity around the war. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
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