Google has deactivated the data of the release of its Maps in Ukraine, in order, as it states, to protect Ukrainian citizens.
Google has temporarily stopped showing online traffic in Ukraine, offered by Google Maps. The reason is the protection of citizens as the country is being invaded by neighboring Russia.
The traffic feature in Google Maps uses anonymous user location data, collected from smartphone Android, to show where there are road traffic delays and which businesses and shops are busy. Experts say such data could provide insight into the progress of the invasion. But they could betray civilian positions, as well as mass movements of them.
According to Reuters, Google decided to disable these features, to protect the security of local users, after consulting with the Ukrainian authorities.
Features have indeed been disabled by global access, but Google says online traffic information will still be available to drivers using navigation features in the area. It is not clear if Google has ever disabled these features during previous conflicts or wars.
Location data collected by mapping services often provide this kind of unexpected information. For example, when the Strava tracking application released a map in 2017 with user joking activity, accidentally revealed the location of several US military bases, showing where soldiers were running around airports.
Typically, this data must be combined with other sources to provide reliable information. In the case of the traffic jam found outside Ukraine last Thursday, for example, the researchers they were already surveying the area using satellite imagery. The data itself may possibly come from civilians stopping at roadblocks, rather than soldiers using Android phones.
However, the only sure thing is that technology is now deeply rooted in our lives. And not a few users are trying to figure out what's going on in the area from Flightradar24, or marine traffic, or filtering news and video in Twitter, Tiktok etc, putting hashtag #Ukraine.
