<s>
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
is	O
a	O
web	O
mapping	O
platform	O
and	O
consumer	O
application	O
offered	O
by	O
Google	B-Application
.	I-Application
</s>
<s>
It	O
offers	O
satellite	O
imagery	O
,	O
aerial	O
photography	O
,	O
street	O
maps	O
,	O
360°	O
interactive	B-Application
panoramic	I-Application
views	O
of	O
streets	O
(	O
Street	B-Application
View	I-Application
)	O
,	O
real-time	O
traffic	O
conditions	O
,	O
and	O
route	B-Application
planning	I-Application
for	O
traveling	O
by	O
foot	O
,	O
car	O
,	O
bike	O
,	O
air	O
(	O
in	O
beta	O
)	O
and	O
public	O
transportation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
,	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
was	O
being	O
used	O
by	O
over	O
one	O
billion	O
people	O
every	O
month	O
around	O
the	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
began	O
as	O
a	O
C++	B-Language
desktop	O
program	O
developed	O
by	O
brothers	O
Lars	O
and	O
Jens	O
Rasmussen	O
at	O
Where	B-Application
2	I-Application
Technologies	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
October	O
2004	O
,	O
the	O
company	O
was	O
acquired	O
by	O
Google	B-Application
,	O
which	O
converted	O
it	O
into	O
a	O
web	O
application	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
additional	O
acquisitions	O
of	O
a	O
geospatial	O
data	O
visualization	O
company	O
and	O
a	O
real-time	O
traffic	O
analyzer	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
was	O
launched	O
in	O
February	O
2005	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
service	O
's	O
front	B-Architecture
end	I-Architecture
utilizes	O
JavaScript	B-Language
,	O
XML	B-Protocol
,	O
and	O
Ajax	B-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
offers	O
an	O
API	B-Application
that	O
allows	O
maps	O
to	O
be	O
embedded	O
on	O
third-party	O
websites	O
,	O
and	O
offers	O
a	O
locator	O
for	O
businesses	O
and	O
other	O
organizations	O
in	O
numerous	O
countries	O
around	O
the	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Map	I-Application
Maker	I-Application
allowed	O
users	O
to	O
collaboratively	O
expand	O
and	O
update	O
the	O
service	O
's	O
mapping	O
worldwide	O
but	O
was	O
discontinued	O
from	O
March	O
2017	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
crowdsourced	O
contributions	O
to	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
were	O
not	O
discontinued	O
as	O
the	O
company	O
announced	O
those	O
features	O
would	O
be	O
transferred	O
to	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Local	O
Guides	O
program	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
 '	O
satellite	O
view	O
is	O
a	O
"	O
top-down	O
"	O
or	O
bird's-eye	B-Application
view	I-Application
;	O
most	O
of	O
the	O
high-resolution	O
imagery	O
of	O
cities	O
is	O
aerial	O
photography	O
taken	O
from	O
aircraft	O
flying	O
at	O
,	O
while	O
most	O
other	O
imagery	O
is	O
from	O
satellites	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
previously	O
used	O
a	O
variant	O
of	O
the	O
Mercator	O
projection	O
,	O
and	O
therefore	O
could	O
not	O
accurately	O
show	O
areas	O
around	O
the	O
poles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
August	O
2018	O
,	O
the	O
desktop	O
version	O
of	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
was	O
updated	O
to	O
show	O
a	O
3D	O
globe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
for	O
Android	B-Application
and	O
iOS	B-Application
devices	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
September	O
2008	O
and	O
features	O
GPS	O
turn-by-turn	B-Application
navigation	I-Application
along	O
with	O
dedicated	O
parking	O
assistance	O
features	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
2013	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
found	O
to	O
be	O
the	O
world	O
's	O
most	O
popular	O
smartphone	B-Application
app	I-Application
,	O
with	O
over	O
54%	O
of	O
global	O
smartphone	B-Application
owners	O
using	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2017	O
,	O
the	O
app	O
was	O
reported	O
to	O
have	O
two	O
billion	O
users	O
on	O
Android	B-Application
,	O
along	O
with	O
several	O
other	O
Google	B-Application
services	O
including	O
YouTube	O
,	O
Chrome	B-Application
,	O
Gmail	B-Application
,	O
Search	B-Application
,	O
and	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
first	O
started	O
as	O
a	O
C++	B-Language
program	I-Language
designed	O
by	O
two	O
Danish	O
brothers	O
,	O
Lars	O
and	O
Jens	O
Eilstrup	O
Rasmussen	O
,	O
and	O
Noel	O
Gordon	O
and	O
Stephen	O
Ma	O
,	O
at	O
Sydney-based	O
Where	B-Application
2	I-Application
Technologies	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
first	O
designed	O
to	O
be	O
separately	O
downloaded	O
by	O
users	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
company	O
later	O
pitched	O
the	O
idea	O
for	O
a	O
purely	O
Web-based	O
product	O
to	O
Google	B-Application
management	O
,	O
changing	O
the	O
method	O
of	O
distribution	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
October	O
2004	O
,	O
the	O
company	O
was	O
acquired	O
by	O
Google	B-Application
Inc	I-Application
.	I-Application
where	O
it	O
transformed	O
into	O
the	O
web	O
application	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
.	I-Application
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
same	O
month	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
acquired	O
Keyhole	O
,	O
a	O
geospatial	O
data	O
visualization	O
company	O
(	O
with	O
investment	O
from	O
the	O
CIA	O
)	O
,	O
whose	O
marquee	O
application	O
suite	O
,	O
Earth	B-Application
Viewer	I-Application
,	O
emerged	O
as	O
the	O
highly	O
successful	O
Google	B-Application
Earth	I-Application
application	O
in	O
2005	O
while	O
other	O
aspects	O
of	O
its	O
core	O
technology	O
were	O
integrated	O
into	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
.	I-Application
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
2004	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
acquired	O
ZipDash	O
,	O
a	O
company	O
that	O
provided	O
realtime	O
traffic	O
analysis	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
launch	O
of	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
was	O
first	O
announced	O
on	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Blog	O
on	O
February	O
8	O
,	O
2005	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
2005	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
aftermath	O
of	O
Hurricane	O
Katrina	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
quickly	O
updated	O
its	O
satellite	O
imagery	O
of	O
New	O
Orleans	O
to	O
allow	O
users	O
to	O
view	O
the	O
extent	O
of	O
the	O
flooding	O
in	O
various	O
parts	O
of	O
that	O
city	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
2007	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
is	O
equipped	O
with	O
a	O
miniature	O
view	O
with	O
a	O
draggable	O
rectangle	O
that	O
denotes	O
the	O
area	O
shown	O
in	O
the	O
main	O
viewport	O
,	O
and	O
"	O
Info	O
windows	O
"	O
for	O
previewing	O
details	O
about	O
locations	O
on	O
maps	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
November	O
28	O
,	O
2007	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
for	O
Mobile	O
2.0	O
was	O
released	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
triangulating	B-Algorithm
the	O
different	O
signal	O
strengths	O
from	O
cell	O
transmitters	O
and	O
then	O
using	O
their	O
location	O
property	O
(	O
retrieved	O
from	O
the	O
database	O
)	O
,	O
My	O
Location	O
determines	O
the	O
user	O
's	O
current	O
location	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
September	O
23	O
,	O
2008	O
,	O
coinciding	O
with	O
the	O
announcement	O
of	O
the	O
first	B-Application
commercial	I-Application
Android	I-Application
device	I-Application
,	O
Google	B-Application
announced	O
that	O
a	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
app	O
had	O
been	O
released	O
for	O
its	O
Android	B-Application
operating	I-Application
system	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
October	O
2009	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
replaced	O
Tele	O
Atlas	O
as	O
their	O
primary	O
supplier	O
of	O
geospatial	O
data	O
in	O
the	O
US	O
version	O
of	O
Maps	O
and	O
used	O
their	O
own	O
data	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
April	O
19	O
,	O
2011	O
,	O
Map	O
Maker	O
was	O
added	O
to	O
the	O
American	O
version	O
of	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
,	O
allowing	O
any	O
viewer	O
to	O
edit	O
and	O
add	O
changes	O
to	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
.	I-Application
</s>
<s>
This	O
provides	O
Google	B-Application
with	O
local	O
map	O
updates	O
almost	O
in	O
real-time	O
instead	O
of	O
waiting	O
for	O
digital	O
map	O
data	O
companies	O
to	O
release	O
more	O
infrequent	O
updates	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
January	O
31	O
,	O
2012	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
,	O
due	O
to	O
offering	O
its	O
Maps	O
for	O
free	O
,	O
was	O
found	O
guilty	O
of	O
abusing	O
the	O
dominant	O
position	O
of	O
its	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
application	O
and	O
ordered	O
by	O
a	O
court	O
to	O
pay	O
a	O
fine	O
and	O
damages	O
to	O
Bottin	O
Cartographer	O
,	O
a	O
French	O
mapping	O
company	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2012	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
started	O
mapping	O
the	O
UK	O
's	O
rivers	O
and	O
canals	O
in	O
partnership	O
with	O
the	O
Canal	O
and	O
River	O
Trust	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
2012	O
,	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Maps	O
application	O
was	O
separately	O
made	O
available	O
in	O
the	O
App	O
Store	O
,	O
after	O
Apple	O
removed	O
it	O
from	O
its	O
default	O
installation	O
of	O
the	O
mobile	O
operating	O
system	O
version	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
6	I-Operating_System
in	O
September	O
2012	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
January	O
29	O
,	O
2013	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
was	O
updated	O
to	O
include	O
a	O
map	O
of	O
North	O
Korea	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
,	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
recognizes	O
Palestine	O
as	O
a	O
country	O
,	O
instead	O
of	O
redirecting	O
to	O
the	O
Palestinian	O
territories	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
August	O
2013	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
removed	O
the	O
Wikipedia	O
Layer	O
,	O
which	O
provided	O
links	O
to	O
Wikipedia	O
content	O
about	O
locations	O
shown	O
in	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
using	O
Wikipedia	O
geocodes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
April	O
12	O
,	O
2014	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
was	O
updated	O
to	O
reflect	O
the	O
annexation	O
of	O
Ukrainian	O
Crimea	O
by	O
Russia	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2015	O
,	O
on	O
a	O
map	O
near	O
the	O
Pakistani	O
city	O
of	O
Rawalpindi	O
,	O
the	O
imagery	O
of	O
the	O
Android	B-Application
logo	O
urinating	O
on	O
the	O
Apple	O
logo	O
was	O
added	O
via	O
Map	O
Maker	O
and	O
appeared	O
on	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
.	I-Application
</s>
<s>
The	O
vandalism	O
was	O
soon	O
removed	O
and	O
Google	B-Application
publicly	O
apologized	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
as	O
a	O
result	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
disabled	O
user	O
moderation	O
on	O
Map	O
Maker	O
,	O
and	O
on	O
May	O
12	O
,	O
disabled	O
editing	O
worldwide	O
until	O
it	O
could	O
devise	O
a	O
new	O
policy	O
for	O
approving	O
edits	O
and	O
avoiding	O
vandalism	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
April	O
29	O
,	O
2015	O
,	O
users	O
of	O
the	O
classic	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
were	O
forwarded	O
to	O
the	O
new	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
with	O
the	O
option	O
to	O
be	O
removed	O
from	O
the	O
interface	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
July	O
14	O
,	O
2015	O
,	O
the	O
Chinese	O
name	O
for	O
Scarborough	O
Shoal	O
was	O
removed	O
after	O
a	O
petition	O
from	O
the	O
Philippines	O
was	O
posted	O
on	O
Change.org	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
June	O
27	O
,	O
2016	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
rolled	O
out	O
new	O
satellite	O
imagery	O
worldwide	O
sourced	O
from	O
Landsat	O
8	O
,	O
comprising	O
over	O
700	O
trillion	O
pixels	B-Algorithm
of	O
new	O
data	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
2016	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
acquired	O
mapping	O
analytics	O
startup	O
Urban	O
Engines	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2016	O
,	O
the	O
Government	O
of	O
South	O
Korea	O
offered	O
Google	B-Application
conditional	O
access	O
to	O
the	O
country	O
's	O
geographic	O
database	O
–	O
access	O
that	O
already	O
allows	O
indigenous	O
Korean	O
mapping	O
providers	O
high-detail	O
maps	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
declined	O
the	O
offer	O
,	O
as	O
it	O
was	O
unwilling	O
to	O
accept	O
restrictions	O
on	O
reducing	O
the	O
quality	O
around	O
locations	O
the	O
South	O
Korean	O
Government	O
felt	O
were	O
sensitive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
October	O
16	O
,	O
2017	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
was	O
updated	O
with	O
accessible	O
imagery	O
of	O
several	O
planets	O
and	O
moons	O
such	O
as	O
Titan	O
,	O
Mercury	O
,	O
and	O
Venus	B-Application
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
direct	O
access	O
to	O
imagery	O
of	O
the	O
Moon	O
and	O
Mars	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
May	O
2018	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
announced	O
major	O
changes	O
to	O
the	O
API	B-Application
structure	O
starting	O
June	O
11	O
,	O
2018	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
postponed	O
the	O
change	O
date	O
to	O
July	O
16	O
,	O
2018	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
August	O
2018	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
designed	O
its	O
overall	O
view	O
(	O
when	O
zoomed	O
out	O
completely	O
)	O
into	O
a	O
3D	O
globe	O
dropping	O
the	O
Mercator	O
projection	O
that	O
projected	O
the	O
planet	O
onto	O
a	O
flat	O
surface	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2019	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
added	O
speed	O
trap	O
and	O
speed	B-General_Concept
camera	I-General_Concept
alerts	O
as	O
reported	O
by	O
other	O
users	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
October	O
17	O
,	O
2019	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
was	O
updated	O
to	O
include	O
incident	O
reporting	O
,	O
resembling	O
a	O
functionality	O
in	O
Waze	B-Application
which	O
was	O
acquired	O
by	O
Google	B-Application
in	O
2013	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
2019	O
,	O
Incognito	O
mode	O
was	O
added	O
,	O
allowing	O
users	O
to	O
enter	O
destinations	O
without	O
saving	O
entries	O
to	O
their	O
Google	B-Application
accounts	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
September	O
23	O
,	O
2020	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
announced	O
a	O
COVID-19	O
Layer	O
update	O
for	O
Google	B-Application
maps	I-Application
,	O
which	O
is	O
designed	O
to	O
offer	O
a	O
seven-day	O
average	O
data	O
of	O
the	O
total	O
COVID-19-positive	O
cases	O
per	O
100,000	O
people	O
in	O
the	O
area	O
selected	O
on	O
the	O
map	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2021	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
announced	O
that	O
it	O
would	O
be	O
launching	O
a	O
new	O
feature	O
displaying	O
COVID-19	O
vaccination	O
sites	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2021	O
Google	B-Application
announced	O
updates	O
to	O
the	O
route	B-Application
planner	I-Application
that	O
would	O
accommodate	O
drivers	O
of	O
electric	O
vehicles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2022	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
added	O
a	O
layer	O
displaying	O
air	O
quality	O
for	O
certain	O
countries	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
2022	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
silently	O
removed	O
the	O
COVID-19	O
Layer	O
from	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
due	O
to	O
little	O
usage	O
of	O
the	O
feature	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
provides	O
a	O
route	B-Application
planner	I-Application
,	O
allowing	O
users	O
to	O
find	O
available	O
directions	O
through	O
driving	O
,	O
public	O
transportation	O
,	O
walking	O
,	O
or	O
biking	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
has	O
partnered	O
globally	O
with	O
over	O
800	O
public	O
transportation	O
providers	O
to	O
adopt	O
GTFS	B-Application
(	O
General	B-Application
Transit	I-Application
Feed	I-Application
Specification	I-Application
)	O
,	O
making	O
the	O
data	O
available	O
to	O
third	O
parties	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2007	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
began	O
offering	O
traffic	O
data	O
as	O
a	O
colored	O
overlay	O
on	O
top	O
of	O
roads	O
and	O
motorways	O
to	O
represent	O
the	O
speed	O
of	O
vehicles	O
on	O
particular	O
roads	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
has	O
stated	O
that	O
the	O
speed	O
and	O
location	O
information	O
it	O
collects	O
to	O
calculate	O
traffic	O
conditions	O
is	O
anonymous	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Options	O
available	O
in	O
each	O
phone	O
's	O
settings	O
allow	O
users	O
not	O
to	O
share	O
information	O
about	O
their	O
location	O
with	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
.	I-Application
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
stated	O
,	O
"	O
Once	O
you	O
disable	O
or	O
opt	O
out	O
of	O
My	O
Location	O
,	O
Maps	O
will	O
not	O
continue	O
to	O
send	O
radio	O
information	O
back	O
to	O
Google	B-Application
servers	O
to	O
determine	O
your	O
handset	O
's	O
approximate	O
location	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
May	O
25	O
,	O
2007	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
released	O
Google	B-Application
Street	I-Application
View	I-Application
,	O
a	O
feature	O
of	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
providing	O
360°	O
panoramic	O
street-level	O
views	O
of	O
various	O
locations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
July	O
2009	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
began	O
mapping	O
college	O
campuses	O
and	O
surrounding	O
paths	O
and	O
trails	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Street	B-Application
View	I-Application
garnered	O
much	O
controversy	O
after	O
its	O
release	O
because	O
of	O
privacy	B-Application
concerns	I-Application
about	O
the	O
uncensored	O
nature	O
of	O
the	O
panoramic	O
photographs	O
,	O
although	O
the	O
views	O
are	O
only	O
taken	O
on	O
public	O
streets	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
then	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
has	O
blurred	O
faces	O
and	O
license	O
plates	O
through	O
automated	O
facial	B-General_Concept
recognition	I-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
late	O
2014	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
launched	O
Google	B-Application
Underwater	O
Street	B-Application
View	I-Application
,	O
including	O
of	O
the	O
Australian	O
Great	O
Barrier	O
Reef	O
in	O
3D	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2017	O
,	O
in	O
both	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
and	O
Google	B-Application
Earth	I-Application
,	O
Street	B-Application
View	I-Application
navigation	O
of	O
the	O
International	O
Space	O
Station	O
interior	O
spaces	O
became	O
available	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
announced	O
at	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
I/O	O
2022	O
event	O
that	O
3D	O
images	O
would	O
be	O
created	O
using	O
Street	B-Application
View	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
added	O
icons	O
of	O
city	O
attractions	O
like	O
on	O
Apple	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
on	O
October	O
3	O
,	O
2019	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
2009	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
introduced	O
a	O
new	O
view	O
consisting	O
of	O
45°	O
angle	O
aerial	O
imagery	O
,	O
offering	O
a	O
"	O
bird's-eye	B-Application
view	I-Application
"	O
of	O
cities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
feature	O
was	O
initially	O
available	O
only	O
to	O
developers	O
via	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Maps	O
API	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
February	O
2010	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
introduced	O
as	O
an	O
experimental	O
feature	O
in	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
Labs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
July	O
2010	O
,	O
45°	O
imagery	O
was	O
made	O
available	O
in	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
in	O
select	O
cities	O
in	O
South	O
Africa	O
,	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
,	O
Germany	O
and	O
Italy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
collates	O
business	O
listings	O
from	O
multiple	O
on-line	O
and	O
off-line	O
sources	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
reduce	O
duplication	O
in	O
the	O
index	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
's	I-Application
algorithm	O
combines	O
listings	O
automatically	O
based	O
on	O
address	O
,	O
phone	O
number	O
,	O
or	O
geocode	O
,	O
but	O
sometimes	O
information	O
for	O
separate	O
businesses	O
will	O
be	O
inadvertently	O
merged	O
with	O
each	O
other	O
,	O
resulting	O
in	O
listings	O
inaccurately	O
incorporating	O
elements	O
from	O
multiple	O
businesses	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
allows	O
business	O
owners	O
to	O
create	O
and	O
verify	O
their	O
own	O
business	O
data	O
through	O
Google	B-Application
Business	O
Profile	O
,	O
formerly	O
Google	B-Application
My	O
Business	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Owners	O
are	O
encouraged	O
to	O
provide	O
Google	B-Application
with	O
Business	O
information	O
including	O
;	O
address	O
,	O
phone	O
number	O
,	O
business	O
category	O
and	O
photos	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
has	O
staff	O
in	O
India	O
who	O
check	O
and	O
correct	O
listings	O
remotely	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
support	O
businesses	O
with	O
issues	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
also	O
has	O
teams	O
on	O
the	O
ground	O
in	O
most	O
countries	O
that	O
validate	O
physical	O
addresses	O
in	O
person	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	O
business	O
listing	O
has	O
been	O
verified	O
,	O
business	O
owners	O
can	O
further	O
optimize	O
their	O
profile	O
by	O
logging	O
into	O
their	O
Google	B-Application
account	I-Application
and	O
GMB	O
dashboard	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
mid-August	O
2020	O
Google	B-Application
made	O
it	O
more	O
convenient	O
for	O
business	O
owners	O
to	O
edit	O
their	O
business	O
profile	O
directly	O
from	O
search	B-Application
,	O
simply	O
by	O
typing	O
the	O
word	O
My	O
business	O
or	O
their	O
company	O
name	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Business	O
Profile	O
,	O
formerly	O
Google	B-Application
My	O
Business	O
allows	O
businesses	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
website	O
for	O
free	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
can	O
be	O
manipulated	O
by	O
businesses	O
which	O
are	O
not	O
physically	O
located	O
in	O
the	O
area	O
in	O
which	O
they	O
record	O
a	O
listing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
cases	O
of	O
people	O
abusing	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
to	O
overtake	O
their	O
competition	O
by	O
placing	O
unverified	O
listings	O
on	O
online	O
directory	O
sites	O
knowing	O
the	O
information	O
will	O
roll	O
across	O
to	O
Google	B-Application
(	O
duplicate	O
sites	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Keywords	O
and	O
location	O
details	O
are	O
placed	O
on	O
their	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
business	O
title	O
which	O
can	O
overtake	O
credible	O
business	O
listings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Genuine	O
business	O
owners	O
can	O
also	O
optimize	O
their	O
business	O
listings	O
to	O
gain	O
greater	O
visibility	O
in	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
,	O
through	O
a	O
type	O
of	O
search	B-Application
engine	O
marketing	O
called	O
local	O
search	B-Application
engine	O
optimization	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
2011	O
,	O
indoor	O
maps	O
were	O
added	O
to	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
,	O
giving	O
users	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
navigate	O
themselves	O
within	O
buildings	O
such	O
as	O
airports	O
,	O
museums	O
,	O
shopping	O
malls	O
,	O
big-box	O
stores	O
,	O
universities	O
,	O
transit	O
stations	O
,	O
and	O
other	O
public	O
spaces	O
(	O
including	O
underground	O
facilities	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
encourages	O
owners	O
of	O
public	O
facilities	O
to	O
submit	O
floor	B-Application
plans	I-Application
of	O
their	O
buildings	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
add	O
them	O
to	O
the	O
service	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
My	O
Maps	O
is	O
a	O
feature	O
in	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
launched	O
in	O
April	O
2007	O
that	O
enables	O
users	O
to	O
create	O
custom	O
maps	O
for	O
personal	O
use	O
or	O
sharing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Users	O
can	O
add	O
points	O
,	O
lines	O
,	O
shapes	O
,	O
notes	O
and	O
images	O
on	O
top	O
of	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
using	O
a	O
WYSIWYG	B-Application
editor	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
Android	B-Application
app	O
for	O
My	O
Maps	O
,	O
initially	O
released	O
in	O
March	O
2013	O
under	O
the	O
name	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
Engine	O
Lite	O
,	O
was	O
available	O
until	O
its	O
removal	O
from	O
the	O
Play	B-Application
Store	I-Application
in	O
October	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Local	O
Guides	O
is	O
a	O
volunteer	O
program	O
launched	O
by	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
to	O
enable	O
users	O
to	O
contribute	O
to	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
when	O
registered	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
program	O
is	O
partially	O
a	O
successor	O
to	O
Google	B-Application
Map	I-Application
Maker	I-Application
as	O
features	O
from	O
the	O
former	O
program	O
became	O
integrated	O
into	O
the	O
website	O
and	O
app	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
combined	O
the	O
15	O
million	O
satellite	O
images	O
(	O
roughly	O
ten	O
quadrillion	O
pixels	B-Algorithm
)	O
to	O
create	O
the	O
35	O
global	O
cloud-free	O
Images	O
for	O
this	O
program	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
many	O
other	O
Google	B-Application
web	I-Application
applications	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
uses	O
JavaScript	B-Language
extensively	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
site	O
also	O
uses	O
protocol	O
buffers	O
for	O
data	O
transfer	O
rather	O
than	O
JSON	B-General_Concept
,	O
for	O
performance	O
reasons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
version	O
of	O
Google	B-Application
Street	I-Application
View	I-Application
for	O
classic	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
required	O
Adobe	B-Operating_System
Flash	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
October	O
2011	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
announced	O
MapsGL	O
,	O
a	O
WebGL	B-Library
version	O
of	O
Maps	O
with	O
better	O
renderings	O
and	O
smoother	O
transitions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Indoor	O
maps	O
use	O
JPG	O
,	O
.PNG	O
,	O
.PDF	O
,	O
.BMP	O
,	O
or	O
.GIF	O
,	O
for	O
floor	B-Application
plans	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Users	O
who	O
are	O
logged	O
into	O
a	O
Google	B-Application
Account	I-Application
can	O
save	O
locations	O
so	O
that	O
they	O
are	O
overlaid	O
on	O
the	O
map	O
with	O
various	O
colored	O
"	O
pins	O
"	O
whenever	O
they	O
browse	O
the	O
application	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
previously	O
automatically	O
created	O
a	O
record	O
within	O
the	O
now-discontinued	O
product	O
Google	B-Application
Bookmarks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
terms	O
and	O
conditions	O
state	O
that	O
usage	O
of	O
material	O
from	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
is	O
regulated	O
by	O
Google	B-Application
Terms	O
of	O
Service	O
and	O
some	O
additional	O
restrictions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
has	O
either	O
purchased	O
local	O
map	O
data	O
from	O
established	O
companies	O
,	O
or	O
has	O
entered	O
into	O
lease	O
agreements	O
to	O
use	O
copyrighted	O
map	O
data	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Data	O
for	O
North	O
Korea	O
is	O
sourced	O
from	O
the	O
companion	O
project	O
Google	B-Application
Map	I-Application
Maker	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
street	O
data	O
may	O
be	O
entirely	O
erroneous	O
,	O
or	O
simply	O
out	O
of	O
date	O
:	O
"	O
The	O
biggest	O
challenge	O
is	O
the	O
currency	O
of	O
data	O
,	O
the	O
authenticity	O
of	O
data	O
,	O
"	O
said	O
Google	B-Application
Earth	I-Application
representative	O
Brian	O
McClendon	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
result	O
,	O
in	O
March	O
2008	O
Google	B-Application
added	O
a	O
feature	O
to	O
edit	O
the	O
locations	O
of	O
houses	O
and	O
businesses	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Restrictions	O
have	O
been	O
placed	O
on	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
through	O
the	O
apparent	O
censoring	O
of	O
locations	O
deemed	O
potential	O
security	O
threats	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
API	B-Application
,	O
now	O
called	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
Platform	O
,	O
hosts	O
about	O
17	O
different	O
APIs	B-Application
,	O
which	O
are	O
themed	O
under	O
the	O
following	O
categories	O
:	O
Maps	O
,	O
Places	O
and	O
Routes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	O
success	O
of	O
reverse-engineered	O
mashups	O
such	O
as	O
chicagocrime.org	O
and	O
housingmaps.com,	O
Google	B-Application
launched	O
the	B-Application
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
API	B-Application
in	O
June	O
2005	O
to	O
allow	O
developers	O
to	O
integrate	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
into	O
their	O
websites	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
a	O
free	O
service	O
that	O
did	O
n't	O
require	O
an	O
API	B-General_Concept
key	I-General_Concept
until	O
June	O
2018	O
(	O
changes	O
went	O
into	O
effect	O
on	O
July	O
16	O
)	O
,	O
when	O
it	O
was	O
announced	O
that	O
an	O
API	B-General_Concept
key	I-General_Concept
linked	O
to	O
a	O
Google	B-Application
Cloud	O
account	O
with	O
billing	O
enabled	O
would	O
be	O
required	O
to	O
access	O
the	O
API	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
API	B-Application
does	O
not	O
contain	O
ads	O
,	O
but	O
Google	B-Application
states	O
in	O
their	O
terms	O
of	O
use	O
that	O
they	O
reserve	O
the	O
right	O
to	O
display	O
ads	O
in	O
the	O
future	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
using	O
the	B-Application
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
API	B-Application
,	O
it	O
is	O
possible	O
to	O
embed	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
into	O
an	O
external	O
website	O
,	O
onto	O
which	O
site-specific	O
data	O
can	O
be	O
overlaid	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
initially	O
only	O
a	O
JavaScript	B-Language
API	B-Application
,	O
the	O
Maps	O
API	B-Application
was	O
expanded	O
to	O
include	O
an	O
API	B-Application
for	O
Adobe	B-Operating_System
Flash	I-Operating_System
applications	O
(	O
but	O
this	O
has	O
been	O
deprecated	O
)	O
,	O
a	O
service	O
for	O
retrieving	O
static	O
map	O
images	O
,	O
and	O
web	O
services	O
for	O
performing	O
geocoding	B-Application
,	O
generating	O
driving	O
directions	O
,	O
and	O
obtaining	O
elevation	O
profiles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Over	O
1,000,000	O
web	O
sites	O
use	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Maps	O
API	B-Application
,	O
making	O
it	O
the	O
most	O
heavily	O
used	O
web	O
application	O
development	B-Application
API	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
2011	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
announced	O
it	O
would	O
deprecate	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Maps	O
API	B-Application
for	O
Flash	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Maps	O
API	B-Application
was	O
free	O
for	O
commercial	O
use	O
,	O
provided	O
that	O
the	O
site	O
on	O
which	O
it	O
is	O
being	O
used	O
is	O
publicly	O
accessible	O
and	O
did	O
not	O
charge	O
for	O
access	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
not	O
generating	O
more	O
than	O
25,000	O
map	O
accesses	O
a	O
day	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sites	O
that	O
did	O
not	O
meet	O
these	O
requirements	O
could	O
purchase	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Maps	O
API	B-Application
for	O
Business	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
June	O
21	O
,	O
2018	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
increased	O
the	O
prices	O
of	O
the	O
Maps	O
API	B-Application
and	O
requires	O
a	O
billing	O
profile	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Due	O
to	O
restrictions	O
on	O
geographic	O
data	O
in	O
China	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
must	O
partner	O
with	O
a	O
Chinese	O
digital	O
map	O
provider	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
legally	O
show	O
Chinese	O
map	O
data	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
google.cn/maps	O
(	O
formerly	O
Google	B-Application
Ditu	O
)	O
uses	O
the	O
GCJ-02	O
system	O
for	O
both	O
its	O
street	O
maps	O
and	O
satellite	O
imagery	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
google.com/maps	O
also	O
uses	O
GCJ-02	O
data	O
for	O
the	O
street	O
map	O
,	O
but	O
uses	O
WGS-84	O
coordinates	O
for	O
satellite	O
imagery	O
,	O
causing	O
the	O
so-called	O
China	O
GPS	O
shift	O
problem	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Frontier	O
alignments	O
also	O
present	O
some	O
differences	O
between	O
google.cn/maps	O
and	O
google.com/maps	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
google.cn	O
shows	O
the	O
Chinese	O
frontier	O
strictly	O
according	O
to	O
Chinese	O
claims	O
with	O
no	O
dotted	O
lines	O
indicating	O
the	O
border	O
with	O
India	O
and	O
Pakistan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
the	O
South	O
Tibet	O
region	O
claimed	O
by	O
China	O
but	O
administered	O
by	O
India	O
as	O
a	O
large	O
part	O
of	O
Arunachal	O
Pradesh	O
is	O
shown	O
inside	O
the	O
Chinese	O
frontier	O
by	O
google.cn,	O
with	O
Indian	O
highways	O
ending	O
abruptly	O
at	O
the	O
Chinese	O
claim	O
line	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google.cn	O
also	O
shows	O
Taiwan	O
and	O
the	O
South	O
China	O
Sea	O
Islands	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
China	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Ditu	O
's	O
street	O
map	O
coverage	O
of	O
Taiwan	O
no	O
longer	O
omits	O
major	O
state	O
organs	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
Presidential	O
Palace	O
,	O
the	O
five	O
Yuans	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Supreme	O
Court	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Feature-wise	O
,	O
google.cn/maps	O
does	O
not	O
feature	O
My	O
Maps	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
the	O
other	O
hand	O
,	O
while	O
google.cn	O
displays	O
virtually	O
all	O
text	O
in	O
Chinese	O
,	O
google.com/maps	O
displays	O
most	O
text	O
(	O
user-selectable	O
real	O
text	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
those	O
on	O
map	O
)	O
in	O
English	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
cases	O
where	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
had	O
added	O
out-of-date	O
neighborhood	O
monikers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Because	O
many	O
companies	O
utilize	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
data	O
,	O
these	O
previously	O
obscure	O
or	O
incorrect	O
names	O
then	O
gain	O
traction	O
;	O
the	O
names	O
are	O
often	O
used	O
by	O
realtors	O
,	O
hotels	O
,	O
food	O
delivery	O
sites	O
,	O
dating	O
sites	O
,	O
and	O
news	O
organizations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
has	O
said	O
it	O
created	O
its	O
maps	O
from	O
third-party	O
data	O
,	O
public	O
sources	O
,	O
satellites	O
,	O
and	O
users	O
,	O
but	O
many	O
names	O
used	O
have	O
not	O
been	O
connected	O
to	O
any	O
official	O
record	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
a	O
former	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
employee	O
(	O
who	O
was	O
not	O
authorized	O
to	O
speak	O
publicly	O
)	O
,	O
users	O
can	O
submit	O
changes	O
to	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
,	O
but	O
some	O
submissions	O
are	O
ruled	O
upon	O
by	O
people	O
with	O
little	O
local	O
knowledge	O
of	O
a	O
place	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
contractors	O
in	O
India	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
names	O
used	O
by	O
Google	B-Application
have	O
been	O
traced	O
to	O
non-professionally	O
made	O
maps	O
with	O
typographical	O
errors	O
that	O
survived	O
on	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
.	I-Application
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
time	O
of	O
the	O
ANSTO	O
complaint	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
had	O
colored	O
over	O
some	O
areas	O
for	O
security	O
(	O
mostly	O
in	O
the	O
U.S.	O
)	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
rooftop	O
of	O
the	O
White	B-Application
House	I-Application
and	O
several	O
other	O
Washington	O
,	O
D.C.	O
buildings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
October	O
2010	O
,	O
Nicaraguan	O
military	O
commander	O
Edén	O
Pastora	O
stationed	O
Nicaraguan	O
troops	O
on	O
the	O
Isla	O
Calero	O
(	O
in	O
the	O
delta	O
of	O
the	O
San	O
Juan	O
River	O
)	O
,	O
justifying	O
his	O
action	O
on	O
the	O
border	O
delineation	O
given	O
by	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
.	I-Application
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
has	O
since	O
updated	O
its	O
data	O
which	O
it	O
found	O
to	O
be	O
incorrect	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
January	O
27	O
,	O
2014	O
,	O
documents	O
leaked	O
by	O
Edward	O
Snowden	O
revealed	O
that	O
the	O
NSA	O
and	O
the	O
GCHQ	O
intercepted	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
queries	O
made	O
on	O
smartphones	B-Application
,	O
and	O
used	O
them	O
to	O
locate	O
the	O
users	O
making	O
these	O
queries	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
leaked	O
document	O
,	O
dating	O
to	O
2008	O
,	O
stated	O
that	O
"[i]t	O
effectively	O
means	O
that	O
anyone	O
using	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
on	O
a	O
smartphone	B-Application
is	O
working	O
in	O
support	O
of	O
a	O
GCHQ	O
system.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
May	O
2015	O
,	O
searches	O
on	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
for	O
offensive	O
racial	O
epithets	O
for	O
African	O
Americans	O
such	O
as	O
"	O
nigger	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
nigger	O
king	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
"	O
nigger	O
house	O
"	O
pointed	O
the	O
user	O
to	O
the	O
White	B-Application
House	I-Application
;	O
Google	B-Application
apologized	O
for	O
the	O
incident	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
February	O
2020	O
,	O
a	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
user	O
used	O
99	O
cell	O
phones	O
to	O
fake	O
a	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
traffic	O
jam	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Latitude	O
was	O
a	O
feature	O
that	O
let	O
users	O
share	O
their	O
physical	O
locations	O
with	O
other	O
people	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
service	O
was	O
based	O
on	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
,	O
specifically	O
on	O
mobile	O
devices	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
August	O
9	O
,	O
2013	O
,	O
this	O
service	O
was	O
discontinued	O
,	O
and	O
on	O
March	O
22	O
,	O
2017	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
incorporated	I-Application
the	O
features	O
from	O
Latitude	O
into	O
the	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Maps	O
app	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
areas	O
where	O
Google	B-Application
Map	I-Application
Maker	I-Application
was	O
available	O
,	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
much	O
of	O
Asia	O
,	O
Africa	O
,	O
Latin	O
America	O
and	O
Europe	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
and	O
Canada	O
,	O
anyone	O
who	O
logged	O
into	O
their	O
Google	B-Application
account	I-Application
could	O
directly	O
improve	O
the	O
map	O
by	O
fixing	O
incorrect	O
driving	O
directions	O
,	O
adding	O
biking	O
trails	O
,	O
or	O
adding	O
a	O
missing	O
building	O
or	O
road	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
General	O
map	O
errors	O
in	O
Australia	O
,	O
Austria	O
,	O
Belgium	O
,	O
Denmark	O
,	O
France	O
,	O
Liechtenstein	O
,	O
Netherlands	O
,	O
New	O
Zealand	O
,	O
Norway	O
,	O
South	O
Africa	O
,	O
Switzerland	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
could	O
be	O
reported	O
using	O
the	O
Report	O
a	O
Problem	O
link	O
in	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
and	O
would	O
be	O
updated	O
by	O
Google	B-Application
.	I-Application
</s>
<s>
For	O
areas	O
where	O
Google	B-Application
used	O
Tele	O
Atlas	O
data	O
,	O
map	O
errors	O
could	O
be	O
reported	O
using	O
Tele	O
Atlas	O
map	O
insight	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
imagery	O
was	O
missing	O
,	O
outdated	O
,	O
misaligned	O
,	O
or	O
generally	O
incorrect	O
,	O
one	O
could	O
notify	O
Google	B-Application
through	O
their	O
contact	O
request	O
form	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
November	O
2016	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
announced	O
the	O
discontinuation	O
of	O
Google	B-Application
Map	I-Application
Maker	I-Application
as	O
of	O
March	O
2017	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
is	O
available	O
as	O
a	O
mobile	B-Application
app	I-Application
for	O
the	O
Android	B-Application
and	O
iOS	B-Application
mobile	O
operating	O
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Android	B-Application
app	O
was	O
first	O
released	O
in	O
September	O
2008	O
,	O
though	O
the	O
GPS-localization	O
feature	O
had	O
been	O
in	O
testing	O
on	O
cellphones	O
since	O
2007	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Up	O
until	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
6	I-Operating_System
,	O
the	O
built-in	O
maps	O
application	O
on	O
the	O
iOS	B-Application
operating	O
system	O
was	O
powered	O
by	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
.	I-Application
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
announcement	O
of	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
6	I-Operating_System
in	O
June	O
2012	O
,	O
Apple	O
announced	O
that	O
they	O
had	O
created	O
their	O
own	O
Apple	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
mapping	O
service	O
,	O
which	O
officially	O
replaced	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
when	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
6	I-Operating_System
was	O
released	O
on	O
September	O
19	O
,	O
2012	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
at	O
launch	O
,	O
Apple	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
received	O
significant	O
criticism	O
from	O
users	O
due	O
to	O
inaccuracies	O
,	O
errors	O
and	O
bugs	B-Error_Name
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
day	O
later	O
,	O
The	O
Guardian	O
reported	O
that	O
Google	B-Application
was	O
preparing	O
its	O
own	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
app	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
December	O
12	O
,	O
2012	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Maps	O
apps	O
for	O
iOS	B-Application
and	O
Android	B-Application
have	O
many	O
of	O
the	O
same	O
features	O
,	O
including	O
turn-by-turn	B-Application
navigation	I-Application
,	O
street	B-Application
view	I-Application
,	O
and	O
public	O
transit	O
information	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Turn-by-turn	B-Application
navigation	I-Application
was	O
originally	O
announced	O
by	O
Google	B-Application
as	O
a	O
separate	O
beta	O
testing	O
app	O
exclusive	O
to	O
Android	B-Application
2.0	O
devices	O
in	O
October	O
2009	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
original	O
standalone	O
iOS	B-Application
version	O
did	O
not	O
support	O
the	O
iPad	B-Device
,	O
but	O
tablet	O
support	O
was	O
added	O
with	O
version	O
2.0	O
in	O
July	O
2013	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
update	O
in	O
June	O
2012	O
for	O
Android	B-Application
devices	O
added	O
support	O
for	O
offline	O
access	O
to	O
downloaded	O
maps	O
of	O
certain	O
regions	O
,	O
a	O
feature	O
that	O
was	O
eventually	O
released	O
for	O
iOS	B-Application
devices	O
,	O
and	O
made	O
more	O
robust	O
on	O
Android	B-Application
,	O
in	O
May	O
2014	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
2015	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
announced	O
its	O
new	O
offline	O
functionality	O
,	O
but	O
with	O
various	O
limitations	O
–	O
downloaded	O
area	O
cannot	O
exceed	O
120,000	O
square	O
kilometers	O
and	O
require	O
a	O
considerable	O
amount	O
of	O
storage	O
space	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2017	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
added	O
a	O
feature	O
exclusively	O
to	O
Android	B-Application
that	O
will	O
,	O
in	O
some	O
U.S.	O
cities	O
,	O
indicate	O
the	O
level	O
of	O
difficulty	O
in	O
finding	O
available	O
parking	O
spots	O
,	O
and	O
on	O
both	O
Android	B-Application
and	O
iOS	B-Application
,	O
the	O
app	O
can	O
,	O
as	O
of	O
an	O
April	O
2017	O
update	O
,	O
remember	O
where	O
users	O
parked	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
August	O
2017	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
for	O
Android	B-Application
was	O
updated	O
with	O
new	O
functionality	O
to	O
actively	O
help	O
the	O
user	O
in	O
finding	O
parking	O
lots	O
and	O
garages	O
close	O
to	O
a	O
destination	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
2017	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
added	O
a	O
new	O
two-wheeler	O
mode	O
to	O
its	O
Android	B-Application
app	O
,	O
designed	O
for	O
users	O
in	O
India	O
,	O
allowing	O
for	O
more	O
accessibility	O
in	O
traffic	O
conditions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2019	O
the	O
Android	B-Application
version	O
introduced	O
the	O
new	O
feature	O
called	O
live	O
view	O
that	O
allows	O
to	O
view	O
directions	O
directly	O
on	O
the	O
road	O
thanks	O
to	O
augmented	O
reality	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
won	O
the	O
2020	O
Webby	O
Award	O
for	O
Best	O
User	O
Interface	O
in	O
the	O
category	O
Apps	O
,	O
Mobile	O
&	O
Voice	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
2021	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
added	O
a	O
feature	O
in	O
which	O
users	O
can	O
draw	O
missing	O
roads	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2022	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
implemented	O
support	O
for	O
toll	O
calculation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Both	O
iOS	B-Application
and	O
Android	B-Application
apps	O
report	O
how	O
much	O
the	O
user	O
has	O
to	O
pay	O
in	O
tolls	O
when	O
a	O
route	O
that	O
includes	O
toll	O
roads	O
is	O
input	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
USA	O
Today	O
welcomed	O
the	O
application	O
back	O
to	O
iOS	B-Application
,	O
saying	O
:	O
"	O
The	O
reemergence	O
in	O
the	O
middle	O
of	O
the	O
night	O
of	O
a	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
app	O
for	O
the	O
iPhone	O
is	O
like	O
the	O
return	O
of	O
an	O
old	O
friend	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Jason	O
Parker	O
of	O
CNET	O
,	O
calling	O
it	O
"	O
the	O
king	O
of	O
maps	O
"	O
,	O
said	O
,	O
"	O
With	O
its	O
iOS	B-Application
Maps	O
app	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
sets	O
the	O
standard	O
for	O
what	O
mobile	O
navigation	O
should	O
be	O
and	O
more.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Bree	O
Fowler	O
of	O
the	O
Associated	O
Press	O
compared	O
Google	B-Application
's	I-Application
and	O
Apple	O
's	O
map	O
applications	O
,	O
saying	O
:	O
"	O
The	O
one	O
clear	O
advantage	O
that	O
Apple	O
has	O
is	O
style	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
But	O
when	O
it	O
comes	O
down	O
to	O
depth	O
and	O
information	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
still	O
reigns	O
superior	O
and	O
will	O
no	O
doubt	O
be	O
welcomed	O
back	O
by	O
its	O
fans.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
The	O
New	O
York	O
Times	O
,	O
Google	B-Application
"	O
admits	O
that	O
it	O
's	O
[	O
iOS	B-Application
app	O
is ]	O
even	O
better	O
than	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
for	O
Android	B-Application
phones	I-Application
,	O
which	O
has	O
accommodated	O
its	O
evolving	O
feature	O
set	O
mainly	O
by	O
piling	O
on	O
menus	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
 '	O
location	O
tracking	O
is	O
regarded	O
by	O
some	O
as	O
a	O
threat	O
to	O
users	O
 '	O
privacy	O
,	O
with	O
Dylan	O
Tweney	O
of	O
VentureBeat	O
writing	O
in	O
August	O
2014	O
that	O
"	O
Google	B-Application
is	O
probably	O
logging	O
your	O
location	O
,	O
step	O
by	O
step	O
,	O
via	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
"	O
,	O
and	O
linked	O
users	O
to	O
Google	B-Application
's	I-Application
location	O
history	O
map	O
,	O
which	O
"	O
lets	O
you	O
see	O
the	O
path	O
you	O
've	O
traced	O
for	O
any	O
given	O
day	O
that	O
your	O
smartphone	B-Application
has	O
been	O
running	O
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
,	O
Quartz	O
reported	O
in	O
April	O
2014	O
that	O
a	O
"	O
sneaky	O
new	O
privacy	O
change	O
"	O
would	O
have	O
an	O
effect	O
on	O
the	O
majority	O
of	O
iOS	B-Application
users	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
privacy	O
change	O
,	O
an	O
update	O
to	O
the	O
Gmail	B-Application
iOS	B-Application
app	O
that	O
"	O
now	O
supports	O
sign-in	O
across	O
Google	B-Application
iOS	B-Application
apps	O
,	O
including	O
Maps	O
,	O
Drive	B-Application
,	O
YouTube	O
and	O
Chrome	B-Application
"	O
,	O
meant	O
that	O
Google	B-Application
would	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
identify	O
users	O
 '	O
actions	O
across	O
its	O
different	O
apps	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Android	B-Application
version	O
of	O
the	O
app	O
surpassed	O
five	O
billion	O
installations	O
in	O
March	O
2019	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
November	O
2021	O
,	O
the	O
Android	B-Application
app	O
had	O
surpassed	O
10	O
billion	O
installations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Maps	I-Application
Go	O
,	O
a	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
app	O
designed	O
for	O
lower-end	O
devices	O
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
beta	O
in	O
January	O
2018	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
German	O
"	O
geo-novel	O
"	O
Senghor	O
on	O
the	O
Rocks	O
(	O
2008	O
)	O
told	O
the	O
story	O
as	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
spreads	O
showing	O
a	O
Google	B-Application
map	I-Application
location	O
on	O
the	O
left	O
and	O
text	O
telling	O
the	O
story	O
on	O
the	O
right	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Artists	O
have	O
used	O
Google	B-Application
StreetView	I-Application
in	O
a	O
range	O
of	O
ways	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Emilio	O
Vavarella	O
's	O
The	B-Application
Google	I-Application
Trilogy	O
includes	O
glitchy	O
images	O
and	O
unintended	O
portraits	O
of	O
the	O
drivers	O
of	O
the	O
Street	B-Application
View	I-Application
cars	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Japanese	O
band	O
group	O
inou	O
used	O
Google	B-Application
StreetView	I-Application
backgrounds	O
to	O
make	O
a	O
music	O
video	O
for	O
their	O
song	O
EYE	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
US	O
band	O
Arcade	O
Fire	O
made	O
a	O
customized	O
music	O
video	O
that	O
used	O
StreetView	B-Application
to	O
show	O
the	O
viewer	O
their	O
own	O
childhood	O
home	O
.	O
</s>
