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Did You Know That Google Shows The Borders On Maps Differently Depending On Who You Are?


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Google Maps is one of the most-used Google services out there. Literally billions of users across the globe use the maps on a daily basis in one way or the other. Google's navigation service uses Google Maps and even the maps used by third-party apps like Uber use Google's version of the maps.

When you're talking about a service that is as big as Google Maps, generating billions of dollars in revenue annually, it goes without saying that even subtle changes will affect our lives. It's more obvious in the case of navigation because it's happening in real-time. This incident where a man created a virtual traffic jam on Google Maps is a great example of that.

But when you're talking about something big like international borders, who don't really notice the difference until you go looking for them. That's exactly what a Washington Post report has uncovered.

If I was to explain what's happening in simple terms, I'd say that Google is showing a different version of its map depending on who's looking. For instance, if you look at the Kashmir region on Google Maps from India, you'll see different borderlines from what Google will show to someone who is looking at the maps from Pakistan.

Here, check out the difference yourself -

Google Shows The Borders On Maps Differently © Washington Post

Notice how the borders have been altered? In the Pakistan version of the map, the dotted lines suggest the disputed borders the two nations have fought over for decades. In the Indian version, however, there's just a single solid border to denote that the region is under Indian control. It's like showing a different reality to people in different areas of the world.

It's not limited to the Kashmir region. There are a ton of other regions across the globe where the differences are subtle yet mind-blowing. The "Sea Of Japan" between Japan and Korea is shown as the "East Sea" when you look at it on the maps from South Korea. And there are numerous other examples like the border differences in Morocco, the water body between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and more.

It's not just Google who's doing it, by the way. Even Apple and Microsoft are following the same practice. And why are they doing it?

Ethan Russell, director of product management for Google Maps, said in a statement to Washington Post, âOur goal is always to provide the most comprehensive and accurate map possible based on ground truth. We remain neutral on issues of disputed regions and borders, and make every effort to objectively display the dispute in our maps using a dashed gray border line. In countries where we have local versions of Google Maps, we follow local legislation when displaying names and borders.â

Google Shows The Borders On Maps Differently © Reuters

This is, honestly, quite a common phenomenon and there's nothing to be surprised about. I am sure Google will keep doing this as long as there's a disputed view to suit the diplomats and policymakers. It's also really hard to get an accurate representation of the ground reality, so I think Google is just trying to stick to the data that's being given to it by the local talent working on the ground.

That being said, there's no denying that it's indeed quite alarming. It's like showing a different version of the maps to people who are living in a disputed border and showing something else to the rest of the world. It's an alternate reality which the people living in that particular area are completely unaware of. 

Source: Washington Post


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