Feb 27 (Reuters) – Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) Google confirmed on Sunday that it has temporarily disabled some Google Maps tools for Ukraine that provide live information about traffic conditions and how busy different places are.
The company said it has taken action to globally disable the Google Maps traffic layer and live information about how crowded places such as shops and restaurants are in Ukraine for the safety of the country’s local communities, after consulting with sources including regional authorities.
Ukraine is facing attacks by Russian forces that invaded the country on Thursday. As rockets fell on Ukrainian cities, nearly 400,000 civilians, mostly women and children, fled to neighboring countries. Read more
Russia describes its actions in Ukraine as a “special operation.”
Major technology companies including Google have said they are taking new measures to protect the security of users in the region.
Online services and social media sites have also been exploited by researchers who have compiled activity around the war.
Professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, California Google Maps said Help him track down a “traffic jam” that was actually a Russian movement toward the border hours before Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the attack. Read more
Google said live traffic information remained available to drivers using the area’s step-by-step navigation features.
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(Elizabeth Culliford reports in New York). Additional reporting by Dave Parrish in Oakland, California. Editing by Christian Schmolinger and Kenneth Maxwell
Our criteria: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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