Google Maps blunder exposes Ukrainian military sites, sparks outrage
Updated Google Maps featured the positions of Ukrainian military systems, Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Counteracting Disinformation, informed on Sunday. Ukrainian authorities have requested the corporation to immediately remove this data.
5:24 PM EST, November 3, 2024
Andriy Kovalenko expressed concern in his Telegram post about Google publishing images showing the locations of Ukrainian military systems.
Imagine such a situation. Google displays a map update showing the location of our military systems (I won't elaborate) — Kovalenko wrote.
He noted that despite the urgent need to remove this information, the corporation's response might be delayed due to... the weekend.
According to Kovalenko, Russians have been actively spreading these images, posing a serious threat to the country's security. Vladimir Putin's army could more easily target locations on the Ukrainian side of the front thanks to Google's mishap.
What's wrong with this world? — he asked rhetorically, expressing frustration over the situation.
After the issue was publicized, Google representatives contacted the Ukrainian side and assured that they are working on resolving the problem. Ukrainian authorities expect swift action to remove sensitive data from the maps. They hope that Russians won’t take advantage of the tech giant’s error, which would be beneficial for them.
As RMF FM points out, Kovalenko announced that in the future Ukraine will strengthen its cooperation with Google to avoid similar situations. In September of this year, representatives from the Ukrainian Center for Counteracting Disinformation already met with employees of the American tech giant.
During the talks, ways to combat disinformation on the YouTube platform were discussed, reports Hromadske.
