Google Switches Off Maps’ Live Traffic Updates In Ukraine To Protect Users

In a bid to protect citizens and military personnel in Ukraine, Google Maps has disabled traffic updates from being displayed in the nation.

Typically, Google Maps collects anonymous information from Android smartphones in the region, allowing users to tell how busy certain roads or places are in real-time.

Now, in light of the escalating conflict, Google has decided to switch off the live feed temporarily so it won’t be co-opted by invading Russian troops.

As TechCrunch noted, a research facility in California had been able to spot Russian troops approaching the Ukrainian border hours before the actual invasion, just by using Maps’ traffic data and satellite imaging.

“In the old days, we would have relied on a reporter to show us what was happening on the ground. And today, you can open Google Maps and see people fleeing Kyiv,” researcher Jeffrey Lewis told The Washington Post.

Thankfully, according to the BBC, drivers in Ukraine won’t be completely shut out. Normal navigation features, including maps and GPS, will still function as usual, allowing those who need to flee to map out their routes.

Interestingly, it appears Ukrainians have taken to an even more drastic measure to prevent incoming troops from gaining their bearings—by removing road signs. 

Ukravtodor, the country’s road agency, has begun uprooting signposts in the region to confuse the invading forces, calling on all organizations and communities to “immediately begin dismantling nearby road signs.”

[via TechCrunch and BBC, cover image via Nikom Khotjan | Dreamstime.com]